Man airlifted to hospital after accident off Cork coast
A man who suffered burn injuries on board a Russian factory ship has been airlifted to hospital in Cork.
The Irish Coast Guard was contacted earlier today and advised of the incident on the 344ft (105m) long Armenak Babaev, a fishing factory trawler.
At the time, the vessel was about 370kms west of Valentia in Kerry and the captain was requested to make way towards the Irish coast.
This was to ensure the vessel was in range of the Shannon-based search and rescue helicopter Rescue 115 when it took off to rendevous with it.
The helicopter crew left Shannon Airport at 2.20pm and stopped at Kerry Airport in Farranfore to take on additional fuel before heading out to sea.
While the helicopter was refuelling, an Air Corps CASA CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft was scrambled to provide ‘top-cover’.
Top Cover is required for long distance helicopter communications and is where another aircraft relays radio communications between the helicopter and the Irish Coast Guard on shore.
At 3.30pm, Rescue 115 departed Kerry Airport and routed west to meet with the ship which by then was within 150 nautical miles (278 kilometres) of the Irish coast.
The injured man was airlifted at around 5.45pm and flown to Cork Airport where an ambulance was standing by to take the casualty Cork University Hospital for medical attention.
The operation was coordinated by the Coast Guard Rescue Coordination centre in Valentia.
According to the Coast Guard: "It is understood that the patient suffered burn related injuries in an engine room accident."
