Tynemouth RNLI launch to personal location alert 134 nautical miles offshore

Tynemouth RNLI’s Severn-class all-weather lifeboat Osier was launched following the activation of an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), located approximately 134 nautical miles east of Tynemouth.

As the EPIRB was not registered to a vessel, the Coastguard and lifeboat crew had limited information about the circumstances behind the activation or whether anyone was in distress.

The distance involved presented an additional challenge for the volunteer crew. With the reported position beyond the distance the lifeboat could reach at full speed, while retaining sufficient fuel for a safe return. Tynemouth RNLI’s volunteer mechanics worked alongside the crew to carefully calculate fuel requirements and available range, reducing speed to save fuel.

The Severn-class lifeboat has a range of approximately 250 nautical miles, making careful fuel planning essential for such a long-distance tasking.

Coxswain Enzo said:

'When an EPIRB activates, you have to treat it seriously. The difficulty for us on this occasion was that we had very little information about what had happened, and the position was a considerable distance offshore.

'Our crew and mechanics worked carefully to make sure we understood the fuel requirements and what we could safely achieve. We were relieved when the Coastguard aircraft was able to confirm there was no one in trouble and that our assistance was no longer required.

'It was a long way to go, but that is what our volunteers are here for. If someone is in trouble at sea, we will do everything we can to reach them.'

A Coastguard aircraft based at Humberside was also tasked to the area to establish what had happened and, importantly, to get eyes on the location of the EPIRB activation.

After just over three hours at sea, and when the lifeboat was approximately 72 nautical miles from Tynemouth, the Coastguard aircraft confirmed that there was no one in trouble and that the assistance of the lifeboat was no longer required.

The lifeboat crew then began the journey back to Tynemouth, arriving back into the River Tyne at approximately 15:30.

Following the lengthy tasking, the lifeboat was refuelled with more than 3,000 litres of fuel and was ready for service by 17:00.

It was very nearly another record breaking callout for Tynemouth RNLI, previously going 114 miles offshore in June 2015 to a Danish fishing vessel taking on water. This would of beaten that by 20 miles.

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For further information, please contact:

James Waters, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI North and East, [email protected]

Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for North East and East England, 07824 518641, [email protected]

Richard Grange, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for North East and East England, 07483 112015, [email protected]

RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]

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