Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Highland-Prestige

On April 17, 2017, the offshore vessel 'Highland Prestige' provided critical assistance to the fishing trawler 'Charisma - BH 27', which was perilously close to sinking. The incident unfolded after the trawler lost power and began taking on water with two fishermen aboard. At 11:20 a.m., the concerned skipper issued a distress call to the UK Coastguard, reporting the situation as his vessel was engulfed by water, subsequently disabling its engine. Despite their efforts to manage the water ingress, the fishermen could not restore the boat’s engine, and the 'Charisma' was left adrift with its nets still in the water, approximately 12 nautical miles southeast of the Tyne piers. Conditions at sea were moderate, providing a manageable environment for rescue operations. The Humber Operations Centre of the Coastguard immediately directed Tynemouth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat, which launched just seven minutes later at full speed towards the emergency site. Given the risk of the fishing vessel sinking, a Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was also dispatched. The 'Highland Prestige', already in the vicinity, stood by the 'Charisma', ready to render assistance if necessary. The lifeboat reached the distressed fishing vessel at 11:58 a.m., where the volunteer crew assessed the critical situation. Two crew members boarded the 'Charisma', and they transferred a portable salvage pump onto the trawler. After pumping out the seawater, the crew discovered that the influx of water had stopped. With the immediate threat of sinking eliminated, the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter was stood down while en route. However, the lifeboat faced a challenge; it could not tow the 'Charisma' until her nets were retrieved. The fishermen worked on getting power to the boat's winch, and by 1 p.m., they successfully brought in the nets and managed to restart the engine. To ensure their safe passage, instead of towing the 'Charisma', the lifeboat escorted her back to North Shields as a precautionary measure against further complications. The two vessels reached the North Shields fish quay safely at 3:05 p.m. Once the fishing boat was secure, the lifeboat refueled and returned to its station, arriving at 3:30 p.m., concluding a four-hour mission. For more details and images, visit RNLI’s official report.