Marine Police launched its rescue vessel MV Guardian last night to assist a local crew stranded at sea near the eastern tip of the Argus Bank.

MV Guardian was deployed to assist two people stranded on board the Aqua Vit, a 40-foot fishing vessel immobilised with engine problems.

The boat was adrift 22 miles southwest of Bermuda, according to the Harbour Radio duty officer who responded to a call for help at about 5.45 p.m.

He said: “I got them to drop their anchor which fortunately they could do. I made four urgent broadcasts for any vessel in the area to assist. No one was in the area to tell them they could assist so I called Marine Police.”

There was concern the stranded seamen would be unable to successfully drop anchor because the water is very deep in the area of Argus Bank. Plus the Aqua Vit was working with poor communications systems. As a failsafe, the container vessel Grand Pavo agreed to pause its voyage to the Bahamas and serve as a communications relay if necessary. In the end, the Grand Pavo crew was not needed.

The MV Guardian went out at about 7 p.m. and did not reach Aqua Vit until almost three hours later. At press time last night the 58-foot Police boat was in the process of towing the distressed vehicle back to shore at Ely’s Harbour in Somerset.

Last month the MV Guardian’s maintenance was questioned in this newspaper by an unnamed source after the boat was sidelined for mechanical reasons.

Police acknowledged there were some difficulties, but expected the boat would be back in service “in the near future”.

A Police spokesman said last night: “We reached the vessel and rescued the two individuals on board. It appears to have gone well.”