Wells RNLI lifeboat tows in yacht with engine failure
Wells lifeboat was in action late last night (19 June) and in the early hours of today, Monday 20 June, when a 27ft yacht suffered engine failure and needed assistance.
The yacht, Corumba, with two people onboard, experienced engine failure whilst on passage off Blakeney Overfalls and contacted Humber Coastguard requesting a tow into Wells harbour.
The lifeboat station was subsequently contacted at 10.24pm on Sunday 19 June and asked to render assistance. As it was approaching low water, there was no prospect of bringing the yacht into Wells at that time.
The yacht was in no immediate danger, so it was decided to launch on the first of the flood tide in the early hours of this morning.
The crew were paged at 4.22am and the all-weather lifeboat, Doris M Mann of Ampthill, launched twelve minutes later and proceeded towards the yacht which continued to sail towards Wells during the night but had not made much headway.
The volunteer lifeboat crew arrived on scene at 5.32am and placed a crew member onboard, who then attached the lifeboat’s towline. The tow commenced at 5.45am and the yacht was safely secured on the Wells Harbour town pontoons at 7.25am. The lifeboat returned to station and was recovered at 7.40am.
No one was hurt in the incident.
RNLI media contacts
Peter Rainsford, Acting Lifeboat Press Officer, 01328 711463, 07789 967255, chairman@wellslifeboat.org
John Mitchell, Wells-Next-the-Sea Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
01328 710882 / 07831103166 / lpo@wellslifeboat.org
Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) 0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 tim_ash@rnli.org.uk
James Oxley, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East)
0207 6207425 / 07786 668825 / james_oxley@rnli.org.uk
For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
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