Dramatic rescue from blazing yacht
NINE people have been rescued from a life raft after their yacht caught fire.
Hovering over the disaster
The Coastguard was alerted to the vessel in distress south-west of Shetland on Thursday morning.
They broadcast a mayday call and the yacht crew were picked up by an oil industry support vessel in the area which launched a fast rescue boat.
An RNLI Lifeboat and the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Sumburgh also took part in the rescue.
Smoke signals in rescue
plumes of smoke smother the sailors
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said: "All nine persons have been safely accounted for after the support vessel picked them up."
All nine persons have been safely accounted for
The support vessel took the rescued group to Scalloway on Shetland.
The 45-ft Miracle had left Lerwick harbour on Wednesday sailing for Torshavn, in Faroe, after arriving from Bergen in Norway on Monday evening.
The passengers abandoned the Poland-registered yacht and were picked up by REM Gambler, an anchor-handling deep sea tug and oil rig support vessel.
UK: Lifeboat rescues four from yacht ran aground in storm
Rescued by helicopter
A coastguard spokeswoman said: "At approximately 9.20am this morning the UK coastguard received a mayday call and beacon alerts indicating a sailing vessel was in distress 50 miles south west of Shetland.
"A Mayday relay was broadcast by the coastguard requesting assistance for the vessel.
"A support vessel responded to the broadcast and made its way to the area and sent a recovery craft to the vessel to assess the situation.
"All persons on board have been safely accounted for after the support vessel picked them up from a life raft after they abandoned the sailing vessel."