4 Feared Missing After British Sub Hits Fishing Boat

LONDON — A fishing boat believed to have four men aboard was missing Thursday after a British submarine collided with the vessel off Scotland’s Isle of Arran, the Royal Navy said.

Naval helicopters, a frigate and a minesweeper searched for the fishing boat, Antares, which was reported overdue at its home port of Carradale.

A navy spokesman said the boat normally carries a crew of four, but it was not known how many were on board.

The spokesman said the submarine surfaced after the 2 a.m. collision and sighted two fishing boats in no apparent difficulties. It submerged and left after trying unsuccessfully to make contact with the fishing boats, but reported the incident to the Coast Guard, the spokesman said, declining to be identified.

The submarine apparently struck the vessel’s underwater gear, but no more details were available.

The spokesman said searchers near Arran in the Firth of Clyde off the west coast of Scotland later spotted some debris but it was not “positively identified as coming from the Antares.”