Ar Raok II
On February 28, the 20 meter long fishing vessel Ar Raok II caught fire in the Bay of Biscay off Belle-Île, France. The fire erupted from some machinery on board and quickly swept through the trawler. The four crew was unable to contain the blaze. They sent out a distress call before forced to abandon ship into the vessel’s life raft. The nearby fishing vessel Joker responded to the alert and rescued the Ar Raok II crew. No reports of injuries. A French frigate and 2 SNSM lifeboats arrived on scene. The vessels attempted to douse the fire and cool the hull, but the Ar Raok II superstructure had already burned away. The blackened hull of the Ar Raok II was taken under tow, but the hull was too far damaged and it sank a short time later. The hull now rests in 50 meters of water near Belle-Île.