In the early hours of the morning, a distress call regarding a drifting boat off West Iceland set a rescue operation into motion.
Around 5 AM, the Icelandic Coast Guard Command Centre received word from Snæfellsnes about a boat that was floating off-shore after losing its rudder.
Once without this vital piece of nautical equipment, the boat helped itself by using limited engine power to float closer to land, just below Svörtuloft lighthouse.
As reported by Iceland’s national broadcaster, RÚV, the Coast Guard’s helicopter squadron was initially alerted to the situation, but were soon recalled when the rescue ship Björg á Rif arrived to take control.
Proving its worth
The Björg’s Captain, Halldór Kristinsson, told the news agency:
“It was west of Öndverðarnes and we just drove at a 25-mile speed and got to it quickly and safely.”
According to a statement from ICE-SAR—Iceland’s Search & Rescue services—the Björg á Rif arrived at the scene at 6 AM. The boat was found to have two people onboard.
Fortunately, good weather meant that the rescue operation went smoothly, with the Björg á Rif towing the out-of-luck vessel back to Rif harbour, arriving at 7.30 AM.
The Björg á Rif is a new rescue ship, and according to those involved, proved itself more than capable during last night’s incident.
Speaking on the impact of the new ship, Halldór said; “It’s a huge difference. We would have been 40 or so minutes on the old boat but we were simply 20 minutes.”
