Seventeen Fishermen Rescued After Their Boat Runs Aground Near Scotland’s Old Man of Hoy

Seventeen people were rescued after a fishing boat ran aground near the famous Old Man of Hoy sea stack in Orkney, Scotland, early on October 1.

The vessel, named Genesis, struck rocks off the west coast of the island of Hoy at around 6:30 a.m. and issued a Mayday call requesting an immediate evacuation.

A Major Rescue Operation Begins

The emergency brought together several rescue services. The RNLI lifeboat from Stromness responded, while coastguard helicopters from Sumburgh and Stornoway were also sent to the scene.

The NorthLink passenger ferry Hamnavoe also joined the operation and launched its fast rescue boat to assist the stranded crew.

All 17 People Taken to Safety

Coastguard crews eventually winched all 17 people from the fishing vessel to safety using a helicopter.

The rescued crew members were taken to Kirkwall after being lifted from the boat two at a time. Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service were also involved in the response.

A passenger aboard the Hamnavoe ferry, Mark Wrigley, watched the rescue from a distance. He told BBC Radio Orkney that passengers could clearly see the boat on the rocks and the rescue teams working nearby.

The Boat Remains Aground

Although everyone on board was safely evacuated, the fishing vessel remained stranded on the rocks.

A Coastguard Emergency Towing Vessel was dispatched to the area, along with pollution-response teams and other authorities. Officials were also monitoring the situation around the vessel.

A Dangerous Location

The rescue took place close to the Old Man of Hoy, one of Scotland’s best-known natural landmarks. The 137-metre sea stack rises dramatically from the Atlantic and is located on Hoy’s exposed western coast.

The difficult coastal environment meant that rescuers had to carefully coordinate helicopters, lifeboats and other vessels during the evacuation.

A Safe Ending for the Crew

Despite the fishing boat running aground in the early morning, the emergency ended with all 17 people safely removed from the vessel.

The operation demonstrated how multiple rescue services can work together when a vessel encounters trouble in one of Scotland’s remote coastal areas.

Sources

• BBC News — “Seventeen rescued after fishing boat runs aground off Orkney” — October 1, 2026.
• HM Coastguard — Information about the rescue operation cited by BBC News.
• BBC Radio Orkney — Eyewitness comments from the Hamnavoe ferry.