Five crew members have been rescued from a fishing vessel after it got into difficulty off the Dublin coast this morning.
Authorities were notified, and the Dublin-based Coast Guard helicopter, RNLI units from Skerries, Howth and Clogherhead and Skerries Coast Guard responded in an operation overseen by the Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Centre in Dublin.
The vessel had run aground south of Balbriggan, and attempts to tow it clear were unsuccessful.
The Skerries RNLI team helped the crew onto their lifeboat, before they were transferred to the Howth all-weather boat to be brought ashore.
Despite efforts to avert on board flooding, using pumps supplied by the Coast Guard and RNLI, the vessel sank shortly after 8am.
The crew were said to be in good spirits despite their ordeal.
Speaking following the call out, Howth RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Colm Newport said: "Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all crews involved this morning, the vessel did sink but thankfully all five fishermen have been returned safely to shore and we would like to wish them well following their ordeal.
"They did the right thing this morning and raised the alarm once they began to encounter difficulties and we were happy to be able to help.
"This call out involved lifeboat crews from three RNLI stations and our colleagues from the Irish Coast Guard, all of whom using their skills and training worked well together to bring the fishermen to safety."
