Hospital ship towing stricken Spanish fishing vessel to Castletownbere

A Spanish fishing trawler that developed engine trouble is being towed into Castletownbere by a Spanish hospital ship.

The emergency services were alerted at about 3pm on Tuesday afternoon after the vessel, the Baqueiro, got into difficulty.

But the hospital ship, the Esperanza del Mar, which is habitually in the vicinity of the Spanish fishing fleet, stepped in to offer it their assistance.

The towing began 120 miles off the south west coast and both vessels are due to arrive in Castletownbere today.