Fourteen crew members have been safely rescued after the French-registered trawler Fastnet ran aground on rocks at the eastern entrance to Dingle Harbour in County Kerry, Irish authorities confirmed on Monday.
The 28-metre, 250-tonne fishing vessel encountered difficulties shortly before 11:30 a.m. while departing the harbour and was driven onto rocks near Binn Bán beach amid severe weather and rough sea conditions.
The Irish Coast Guard said the rescue operation was coordinated by the Valentia Marine Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC), which deployed both air and sea assets. These included Rescue 115 helicopter, Rescue 120F fixed-wing aircraft, the Valentia Island RNLI all-weather lifeboat, and the Dingle Coast Guard Unit.
All 14 crew members, mainly Portuguese and Indonesian nationals, were winched from the vessel by Rescue 115 and brought safely ashore. They are now undergoing medical evaluations by the National Ambulance Service.
Authorities have confirmed that pollution control and salvage teams have been engaged to limit the risk of diesel pollution from the grounded vessel. The Fastnet remains aground as assessments continue.
An investigation into the cause of the grounding is expected, with weather conditions likely to be a key factor.
