Fishing vessel lost on rocks, crew swam ashore

The "Ingrid Elisabeth F-41-P" suffered engine failure at 1 a.m. and radioed a mayday call. 45 minutes later she ran aground between two rocks off the Makkaur Lighthouse in the Båtsfjord municipality in eastern Finnmark. The storm and strong fall winds made it impossible for the Sea King helicopter from Banak to pick up the two fishermen on board. Also the lifeboat "Reidar van Koss" and the trawler "Gadus Poseidon" and "Båtsfjord" were on scene, but with gusts of 40-45 meters per second, none of them was able to help. At 2 a.m. the "Gadus Poseidon” got radio contact and heard that the “Ingrid Ellisabeth” took in water. Also the patrol boat “Harstad” was deployed to the scene. As the boat went down, the fishermen, aged 45 and 26 years, had to swim ashore wearing immersion suits at 4 a.m. Two other ships illuminated the scene with their flashlights. Meanwhile, the police in Finnmark organized an effort to reach across the country and set up a patrol with three snowmobiles staffed by police, Red Cross and Civil Defense. When the wind subsided a bit in the morning, the rescue helicopter from Berlevåg took off to make another attempt. In a stiff breeze, the helicopter could land on a plain, and at 7 a.m. the two were rescued in good condition. They were taken to Båtsfjord in the morning.