Humber lifeboat crew launch to 34ft yacht in difficulty in the River Humber

The crew were requested by Humber UKCG at approximately 12.30pm to reports from a sailing vessel suffering engine failure and damaged sails, close to one of the shipping channels in the river. The sailing vessel was struggling to make headway due to the weather conditions. The lifeboat made contact with the vessel and proceeded to their location.

Once the lifeboat arrived alongside the vessel and her four crew, who were tired but safe and well, it had drifted into the shipping channel. Fortunately there was no major shipping using the channel at the time. The lifeboat crew quickly established a tow and began towing the vessel to the safety of Grimsby Fish Dock Marina arriving in port at 2.00pm.

Once the vessel was safely moored in the marina the lifeboat returned to the station at Spurn Point at 3.30pm.

Ed Kilsby, RNLI Mechanic for Humber Lifeboat, says: ‘The crew of the yacht called for assistance as soon as they found themselves in difficulty. This is exactly the right thing to do as the river can be very busy with large ships that may not be able to manoeuvre quickly enough to avoid a vessel without engine or sail power. On this occasion the vessel had a VHF radio which allowed them to call for assistance and for the lifeboat to locate them quickly.’

Notes to editors

Humber Lifeboat Station is the only full time all-weather lifeboat crew in the RNLI and has been saving lives at sea since 1810.

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