15 August 2024 , 17:11
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Crews in 10 ships are desperately searching for the person who is understood to have fallen from a vessel in the North Sea off the coast of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire
A desperate air and sea search is under way in the North Sea after a person is feared to have fallen overboard from a vessel.
Currently 10 ships are looking the person, who is believed to have been on a boat connected to the oil industry. Air and water-based rescue teams have been sent to the scene, around 60 nautical miles north-east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, to conduct a thorough search.
The person is understood to have been onboard a vessel around 35 nautical miles northeast of Fraserburgh - when the alarm was raised. Authorities are yet to confirm the gender of the missing person.
HM Coastguard was first made aware of the incident following a distress call from a vessel at around 8.15am this morning. The coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Inverness, an oil and gas industry rescue helicopter from Aberdeen and a fixed-wing coastguard aircraft have also been assisting with the search - as well as fishing and other commercial boats.
Peterhead and Fraserburgh lifeboat teams have been scouring the area. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: "An HM Coastguard rescue helicopter, a fixed wing coastguard aircraft, nearby vessels, and RNLI Fraserburgh and Peterhead lifeboats have been called to assist in the search for a person overboard from a vessel in the North Sea. An oil and gas industry rescue helicopter from Aberdeen is also supporting.
"The alarm was raised at around 8.15am this morning (Thursday 15 August), after HM Coastguard received a distress alert from the vessel around 35 nautical miles northeast of Fraserburgh. The search is ongoing."