Lee-on-the-Solent HM coastguard helicopter called after fishing boat collides with tanker off West Sussex
A FISHING boat and tanker collided off the West Sussex coast this morning.
HM Coastguard helicopter from Lee-on-the-Solent was called to the incident which happened 25 nautical miles off Selsey Bill just after 3am.
Damage to the tanker was superficial and there was only minor damage to the fishing boat. The six crew from the boat and 20 from the tanker were all accounted for and there were no reported injuries.
The RNLI lifeboat from Selsey was also sent and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s duty counter pollution team was also called as a precaution but there were no reports of pollution.
Andrew Follows, senior maritime operations officer with HM Coastguard said: ‘We’re so thankful that this was a relatively minor collision and that no one has been injured.
‘We sent the helicopter for safety overwatch while the lifeboat arrived. The RNLI lifeboat is staying with the fishing vessel until they and we are certain it can make its own way back to port.’