Dramatic footage shows stricken Orkney fishing boat Genesis smashing apart on rocks 11 days after it ran aground

From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026.

The hull of the fishing vessel Genesis has broken apart on rocks off Orkney's west coast, with new footage revealing a gaping hole in the hull and the stern nearly separated from the rest of the ship. The boat struck rocks near the Old Man of Hoy on 1 October and was abandoned after coastguard helicopters winched all 17 crew members to safety. The rescue operation drew in the RNLI, RAF patrol aircraft, and the Northlink passenger ferry Hamnavoe. One Spanish crew member arrived home just in time to see his son get married following the dramatic rescue.

Genesis ran aground on 1 October; its crew of 17 — from Spain and Indonesia — were all brought to safety before the vessel broke up.