Ramsey RNLI launched to locate unmanned fishing vessel
Ramsey RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew launched this morning, Sunday 20 November, at 5.45am after the UK Coastguard was alerted to an unmanned fishing vessel adrift approximately 10 miles east of Ramsey.
The unmanned fishing vessel had been under tow by another fishing vessel, from the Isle of Man to Workington, when the tow parted. Workington RNLI lifeboat was also tasked to the scene and search area.
Ramsey RNLI lifeboat, with coxswain Mark Kenyon at the helm, located the drifting, unlit and unmanned vessel at 6.40am. Two of Ramsey’s crew were put aboard the vessel and a tow to the lifeboat was safely established.
Meanwhile, Workington lifeboat located and transferred one of its crew members to the single-manned vessel that had been towing the fishing boat before the tow parted.
Ramsey lifeboat and tow rendezvoused with Workington lifeboat at 7.25am. Workington lifeboat transferred two of their crew members to the vessel being towed and the tow was transferred from Ramsey to Workington lifeboat. Ramsey’s two crew members were then recovered back to their own lifeboat.
Workington lifeboat, with one fishing vessel in tow and escorting the single-manned fishing vessel, returned to Workington.
Ramsey lifeboat then stood down and returned home to Ramsey, arriving at 8.20am. The lifeboat was recovered, rehoused, refuelled and back on-call by 9.00 am.
Coxswain Mark Kenyon said afterwards: ‘Towing can be difficult even in good conditions, to attempt it single handed in the dark with an unlit tow was, with hindsight, probably not one of the skipper’s best decisions. Once the tow parted the single handed skipper was unable to re-establish it due to fatigue and sea conditions. So rather than leave an unlit vessel drifting the coastguard requested that we find and recover it.’
Key facts about the RNLI
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 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 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.