Riddle as skipper of stricken boat vanishes

FEARS were increasing last night for a prawn fishermen missing after his boat was found partly submerged on a remote stretch of the Shetland coastline.

• Neil Smith's boat, the Bread Winner. A helicopter found the vessel in the Whalsay area after it was overdue at Lerwick harbour

Neil Smith, from Cunningsburgh, on mainland Shetland, was last seen alive at 6:15am on Thursday when he left Lerwick harbour on board his 10-metre prawn boat the Bread Winner.

An air, sea and land search began for the fishermen on Thursday night after he failed to return to Lerwick. But yesterday morning hopes began to fade after the badly-holed wreckage of his boat was found on the rocks at Grif Skerry, east of the island of Whalsay.

The vessel's inflated liferaft and Mr Smith's inflated lifejacket were found floating close to the foundered vessel. But there was no trace of Mr Smith or his prawn creels and the rest of his fishing gear.

Last night, as the search was called off as darkness fell, Shetland Coastguard said they would reassess the search for Mr Smith this morning.

The search for Mr Smith began at 9pm on Thursday when he failed to return. A Coastguard rescue helicopter and Lerwick lifeboat, together with a flotilla of local boats, began a search of 250 square miles of sea centred on Score Head, on the northern tip of the island of Bressay where the boat usually fished.

Police were called in to conduct an inland search while electronic broadcasts were made throughout the night in the hope of making contact with the missing fisherman.

Shortly before 10am yesterday the wrecked boat was spotted off Whalsay by the Coastguard rescue helicopter as BP's in-field "Jigsaw" helicopter and a fisheries patrol aircraft joined the search. Only the wheelhouse of the blue-hulled boat could be seen above the water line.

Charlie Smith, a watch assistant with Shetland Coastguard, said: "The boat was on the rocks at Grif Skerry, south of Whalsay, and she was holed and awash with just the top of the wheelhouse above the surface. The vessel is holed in the engine room.

"The boat's liferaft was inflated and was on the rocks with the boat and an inflated life jacket was also found at the boat. There was also no fishing gear on board the boat. But his creels in the area had all been freshly baited, so Mr Smith had been in the area."

He added: "The weather wasn't bad last night and he was in sheltered waters. There was south-westerly winds of force 5 to 6 with occasional rain, and a moderate sea. The boat has obviously run into the skerry, which means it is highly unlikely that he was on it. But he could have been down below and collapsed."

Mr Smith said the Lerwick lifeboat had searched the immediate area without finding any trace of the missing fishermen. And he revealed: "The family are planning to bring in divers from Whalsay harbour to get on board. It needs a rethink overnight as to what we will do. But we will never give up hope until we find him."

A friend of the missing fisherman, who is divorced with a step-daughter, said: "Neil is a very popular guy and a very experienced fishermen. He has been at the creels since he left school and used to work on open boats - a 29ft open-decked yawl. Everyone is hoping for the best."