Premier

Shetlopedia - The Shetland Encyclopaedia

The Premier (INS 121), a steel hulled motor fishing vessel, 22.55 metres length, registered in Inverness, Scotland, and while on a fishing trip out of that port, capsized and sank at a position approx between 30 - 50 miles generally to the S - SE of Shetland on December 12th 1990. All six crewmembers were lost.

The vessel had capsized in conditions of 80 knot winds and 20 metre seas. Search and rescue aircraft located the upturned hull and an empty liferaft, however an attempt to lower a winchman for a helicopter on to the hull to search for signs of life had to be abandoned after the winchman was flung against the hull during descent and injured. The deep diving maintenance support vessel Stena Constructor subsequently attempted to search the hull with divers, but this attempt also proved fruitless.