Four people have been rescued from a fishing vessel after it caught fire while it was about 17 nautical miles off Old Head of Kinsale in Co Cork.
Shortly before 2am Valentia Coast Guard was alerted to a fire onboard the Irish fishing vessel 'Horizon'.
A full-scale search and rescue operation was mounted and Courtmacsherry All Weather Lifeboat and the Waterford-based Coast Guard helicopter (R117) were sent to the scene.
The Irish Coast Guard said conditions at the time were favorable with light winds and a moderate sea.
Other fishing and commercial vessels operating in the area also responded, as did the LÉ George Bernard Shaw.
Shortly after the fire started the crew successfully abandoned the vessel and were recovered from their life raft by the Offshore Supply ship Pathfinder that had been operating at the Kinsale Gas field.
The crew were subsequently transferred to the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.
There are no reports of any injuries being suffered by the crew .
Another vessel on scene the Maersk Maker attempted to extinguish the fire but to no avail.
The wreck was monitored by the Coast Guard Helicopter and LÉ George Bernard Shaw.
The vessel was reported to have sunk shortly before 7am.
