Captain thanks rescuers after 17 crew airlifted from grounded fishing vessel off Hoy
The Spanish-owned longliner Genesis ran aground near the Old Man of Hoy early on Thursday, prompting a multi-agency rescue that winched all 17 people on board to safety. Captain Alejandro Abuin Prado said he feared the vessel might capsize and thanked emergency services for their help.
The captain of a fishing vessel that ran aground off the Orkney coast has thanked the rescuers who airlifted all 17 people on board to safety. Captain Alejandro Abuin Prado said he feared the Genesis might capsize after the 30-metre longliner struck rocks near the Old Man of Hoy early on Thursday morning.
A mayday call was received shortly after 6.30am, triggering a multi-agency operation involving the RNLI lifeboat from Stromness, HM Coastguard helicopters from Sumburgh and Stornoway, and the land-based Kirkwall and St Margaret’s Hope Coastguard Rescue Teams. Two other local vessels also responded, alongside a Royal Air Force maritime patrol aircraft. All 17 crew members were winched from the vessel and landed at Kirkwall Airport before being taken to a hotel in the town. There were no injuries.
Captain Prado, who has been with the Genesis for two years, said he was «very grateful» to the emergency services. He thanked them for the rescue and for the way they helped him and his 16-strong crew off the vessel. The Spanish-owned, UK-flagged longliner had been heading to Scrabster with 28 tonnes of fish on board when she ran aground off the west coast of Hoy.
The captain told The Orcadian he believed a miscommunication on board had caused the grounding. Asked what would happen to the vessel, he said: «I don’t know,» but hoped she could be made safe and moved from the rocks. The coastguard vessel Ievoli Black is currently at the scene.
The Genesis has been a controversial presence in Shetland waters over recent years. Although she is UK-registered, she is Spanish-owned and crewed. In June 2021, the vessel was reported for an attack on the Shetland trawler Mizpah when she crossed the bow and came within three metres. At the time, Mizpah’s skipper highlighted how foreign vessels were ganging up on the local fleet to close off vast areas of the seas for their own use.
The rescue operation drew on resources from across the north of Scotland. The RNLI Stromness lifeboat stood by as coastguard helicopters hovered above the grounded vessel, while the Kirkwall and St Margaret’s Hope teams coordinated from the shore. The involvement of a Royal Air Force maritime patrol aircraft underscored the scale of the response.
All crew members were accounted for and uninjured, and their safe evacuation was completed before they were transferred to accommodation in Kirkwall. The incident highlights the hazards faced by fishing crews operating in the waters around Orkney, where strong tides and rocky coastlines demand constant vigilance.
The Genesis remains aground, and it is not yet clear when or how she might be refloated. The coastguard vessel Ievoli Black is monitoring the situation. Captain Prado’s gratitude was echoed by the emergency services, who praised the coordination of the multi-agency effort.
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