A NORWEGIAN FISHERMAN who sustained chest injuries on a trawler hundreds of miles to the west of Ireland is recovering in hospital in Limerick this afternoon after being airlifted from the vessel.

The Coast Guard Rescue 115 helicopter was dispatched to the scene at around 11.30pm last night, supported by an Air Corps CASA plane.

The alarm was raised after the captain of the trawler put a call in to Norway’s rescue coordination centre based at Stavanger. The Norwegian service then alerted the Coast Guard in Valentia.

A spokesperson for the Coast Guard confirmed rescue took place around 250km to the west of Slea Head in Kerry.

The man was flown to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital suffering with serious chest injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery.

It’s normal practice for a second aircraft to be sent as ‘top cover’ support when Coast Guard helicopters are responding to long-range incidents.

Read: Faster, safer, higher: Replacement of Irish Coast Guard chopper fleet completed

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