Fishermen in drifting boat rescued by Tynemouth RNLI
Fishermen in drifting boat rescued by Tynemouth RNLI
Lifeboats News Release
TWO Fishermen and their boat were towed to safety by Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat after the vessel suffered mechanical failure.
RNLI/Michael Brown
Tynemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat and her volunteer crew rescue a fishing boat with two fisherman on board after it became stranded 12 miles north of the river Tyne. This photo: An RNLI volunteer gets the tow rope ready. Please credit: Michael Brown
The skipper of the 38-year-old 9.8m, 10tonne wooden fishing boat radioed UK Coastguard for assistance at 11:45 on Saturday (February 4th 2017) after his nets became wrapped around the propeller, damaging the propeller shaft and leaving the boat without power, drifting twelve miles due north of the Tyne piers, around six miles east of Newbiggin.
Tynemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat was immediately requested to launch by the UK Coastguard Operations Centre at Humber, and left the berth just seven minutes after the crew were paged.
Steaming at best speed, the lifeboat located the fishing boat thirty minutes after launching. The lifeboat crew quickly attached the tow rope and brought the boat and her two occupants to safety at North Shields Fish
Quay, arriving at 2.55pm.
Adrian Don, spokesman for Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat station, said 'The skipper of the fishing vessel's efforts to get his vessel underway were unsuccessful so he did the right thing by calling UK Coastguard for assistance.
'The wind and the tide had pushed the fishing boat further out to sea and although the fishermen were in no immediate danger, to prevent the situation from escalating our volunteer lifeboat crew members brought them
and their boat back to safety as soon as possible.
Ends
For more information: Please contact Adrian Don, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07834 731833 or at
[email protected].
RNLI/Adrian Don
04 Feb 2017 Tynemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat and her volunteer crew rescue a fishing boat with two fisherman on board after it became stranded 12 miles north of the river Tyne. This photo: The lifeboat tows the fishing boat alongside for the last leg of the tow into the river Tyne. Please credit: Adrian Don.
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.
