Saved a man northwest of Grótta lighthouse

The Icelandic Coast Guard received a call about a coastal fishing boat that was caught in a leak just before eleven o’clock last night. One man was on board and he was taken to the hospital.

This is confirmed by Viggó M. Sig­urðsson, the on-call coordinator of the operational department of the Icelandic Coast Guard, in a conversation with mbl.is.

5 nautical miles northwest of Grótta

The boat was located about five nautical miles northwest of Grótta lighthouse on Seltjarnarnes.

“It seems there’s been a substantial amount of water in the boat. The Icelandic Coast Guard has been in contact with the man on board and then suddenly we didn’t hear him,” Sigurðsson says. The Icelandic Coast Guard’s helicopters were then called out as well as a national rescue ship from Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður, and Kópavogur.

“From the moment we call out to the units coming there, it’s 40 minutes. We get a whale-watching ship nearby to sail closer to it. They seem to see a person on board, but then the boat is tilting substantially,” says Viggó.

He says that since then, the men of the Icelandic Coast Guard descended onto the boat. They were in the boat at 23.20. The man was then hoisted into the helicopter.

“They hoist the man on board. He seems to be somewhat injured. They take him to the hospital. The national rescue ships secured this leak and pulled the boat to the harbor,” Sigurðsson says, “but the boat was dragged to the harbor in Hafnarfjörður. It arrived there about 3:30 last night.

Successful operation

Sigurðsson says the operation was very successful.

“This operation was very successful. The cooperation between the Coast Guard and Landsbjörg was fantastic.”

When asked about the condition of the man, he says he doesn't have information about it. The boat isn't destroyed, but it needs to be repaired.