MFV sinks MFV GRATITUDE, on passage from Lerwick to Macduff, sent a MAYDAY distress call at 0133 on Sunday April 24 to say that she had struck rock at Sumburgh Head; she was still afloat but needed immediate help. Shetland Coastguard informed the honorary secretary of Lerwick lifeboat station and by 0145, just 12 minutes later, the 52ft Arun lifeboat Soldian had slipped her moorings and was on her way under the command of Coxswain/Mechanic Hewitt Clark.

It was a very cold, dark night with low cloud. A fresh breeze, force 5, was blowing from east north east and the sea was moderate.

When the lifeboat set out on the 20-mile passage south nothing more had been heard from Gratitude and it was assumed that she had sunk. From a VHF/DF bearing received the Coastguard thought she might be one mile east of Sumburgh Head, although there was no cross bearing available to fix the position.

At 0155 the lifeboat reported a red flare sighted ahead. A bearing was taken by the Coastguard which, when transcribed on to the chart, intersected the original DF bearing at a point half a mile south east of the light on Mousa Island, off the east coast of Shetland Mainland and about ten miles south of Lerwick. Lerwick honorary secretary also reported to the Coastguard a red flare which he had seen from his house on Bressay Isle the bearing of which indicated that the casualty was east of Mousa.

As the lifeboat came round the south of Mousa she was seen by the three survivors from Gratitude, her whole crew; they were in a liferaft and they set off hand flares. By 0225 the three fishermen were safely aboard the lifeboat but two were reported to be suffering from hypothermia. When the fishing vessel had sunk the rope holding the liferaft had not detached itself so one of the men had had to dive belowthe surface to cut it free. By the time the liferaft came to the surface they were very cold and exhausted and had great difficulty in climbing aboard.

Once in the lifeboat, one man was put in the hypothermal bag while Crew Member Ian Fraser, a first aider, lay wrapped up in a blanket with the man who had dived to cut the rope, to try to get warmth back into his body.

An ambulance and a doctor were waiting at Lerwick when the lifeboat arrived back on station at 0315 and took the three fishermen into their care.

Soldian was refuelled and back on her moorings at 0330.

For this service a letter signed by Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, director of the RNLI, expressing the Institution's appreciation to Coxswain/Mechanic Hewitt Clark and his crew was sent to Mr M. M. Shearer, Lerwick station honorary secretary. Mr Shearer also received a letter of thanks from L.H.D.

Ltd, the largest fish selling organisation in Shetland, on behalf of the three fishermen..