Twelve fishermen were rescued after their 35-metre trawler began taking on water early on Wednesday morning off Dursey Island in West Cork.

The alarm was raised around 6am when the crew, fishing 54 miles southwest of the island, reported their vessel was flooding.

The Irish Coast Guard coordinated a major rescue effort involving Castletownbere and Baltimore RNLI lifeboats, the Shannon-based Rescue 115 helicopter and the Coast Guard’s fixed-wing aircraft.

Before Castletownbere RNLI reached the scene shortly after 9am, the crew had abandoned ship and taken to a life raft. They were later picked up by another fishing vessel operating nearby.

Baltimore RNLI was stood down while Castletownbere RNLI recovered the trawler’s emergency beacon before returning to base at 1pm. Weather conditions were described as fair with a two-metre ground swell.

Brian O’Driscoll, Castletownbere RNLI launch authority, praised the crew for their quick actions and thanked all involved in the rescue. He also noted it was the first call-out for Coxswain Willie Power in his new role and for crew member Sean O’Shea.

“It was an early call and a seven-hour shout and we would like to thank and commend all involved,” he said.