Good Samaritans Save Nova Scotian Fishermen on the Grand Banks

The crew of the fishing vessel Atlantic Treasure can thank fellow Nova Scotian fishermen for their survival. When Atlantic Treasure started taking on water overnight Sunday, the crew of the nearby fishing vessel Maid Of Amsterdam answered their mayday call and brought them to safety within hours.

The Atlantic Treasure was under way on a fishing trip to the Grand Banks over the weekend. Late Sunday, the vessel suddenly began taking on water at a fast rate - possibly from a burst pipe, skipper Noah Deveau told CBC. Deveau had three crewmembers deploy the liferafts and gather all needed survival gear, then turned everyone else to the task of attempting to save the ship.

The flooding overwhelmed the bilge pumps, and within a short period of time the Atlantic Treasure was taking water on deck. When the power to the pumps went out, Deveau had the crew abandon ship into the life raft while the deck lights were still lit. All hands made it safely aboard the raft and away from the sinking vessel. 

Deveau got a mayday out before abandoning ship, and Maid Of Amsterdam's skipper responded. The Amsterdam was about three hours away, headed back to port ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Erin. It diverted to meet up with the drifting raft, and in calm surface conditions, all Atlantic Treasure crewmembers transferred over safely and headed back for Nova Scotia. 

The timing of the rescue was fortunate: Hurricane Erin is expected to pass off the coast of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland on Saturday with winds of about 80-100 knots.