Tri-Service

Fishing Trawler Dragged Backwards By "Mystery Submarine"

A submarine close to the coast of Britain may have dragged a trawler violently backwards after snagging its nets, according to a fishermen's organisation.

The 'Karen' was towed at 10 knots during yesterday's incident, 18 miles from Ardglass, one of Northern Ireland's main fishing ports. The vessel was damaged but the crew escaped unharmed.

NATO's Joint Warrior Exercise involving some 50 ships is currently being conducted off the coast of northern Scotland prompting speculation that submarines were likely to be operating in the area during the drills.

The trawler's captain is calling on the MoD to admit accountability insisting the incident must have been caused by a Royal Navy submarine.

However Ardglass fishing representative Dick James had earlier laid the blame at Russia's door saying:

"Our defence forces are not up to much if a rogue submarine of unidentified nationality is tearing around the Irish Sea."

Mr James added: "You don't need to go long at that until you go under".

The four crew members scrambled to release wires connecting the net to the out-of-control trawler, which had been moving slowly forward but was suddenly sent careering backwards through the water.

As the ship steadied the shaken seamen stopped to catch their breath but there was no sign of the cause.

The vessel limped back to Ardglass where part of the deck had to be lifted because it was so badly damaged, and another section was ripped off.

Mr James said: "It is a bloody mess...It is possible that it was a Russian submarine."

"You cannot always prevent it but if an incident like this did happen the (Royal Navy) protocols say that the submarine would immediately surface to check on the health and welfare of the people involved and this one did not."

Last month a trawler captain claimed his boat was nearly dragged down by a Russian submarine while fishing off the Scottish coast.

The MoD said it could not comment on Royal Navy submarine movements or the fishing vessel incident.

Sinn Fein Northern Ireland Assembly member Chris Hazzard said the community was angry.

"The fact that this submarine didn't even surface to make sure the fishermen were safe has caused considerable resentment in the area. It is totally unacceptable that a submarine would show such contempt for maritime workers."

"The skipper and his crew on the Karen, and indeed all of the local fleet, deserve to know the truth about what happened. Whether this is a British vessel attached to the hugely controversial Trident system or a NATO submarine in training, our local fishermen deserve justice."