Three shouts in three days for RNLI's Yarmouth Lifeboat

On Friday 21st July the crew's pagers sounded at 11:09am and the lifeboat was quickly launched to assist the UK Coastguard in a shoreline search from The Needles to Freshwater Bay for a possible missing swimmer. After a second fruitless sweep of the coast extending to Hanover Point, the lifeboat was stood down and returned to station.

At 11:58 the following morning, the UK Coastguard requested the Yarmouth lifeboat to launch in response to a Mayday call from a dismasted sailing yacht. The 9m yacht Mako with 6 crew on board lost her mast approximately 2.4 nautical miles north of The Needles. Once on scene an RNLI crew member was put aboard Mako to assist in the safe stowage of the mast. The lifeboat then began to escort the casualty back to Yarmouth and just off Hurst Point a tow was established to increase the speed of the passage against an ebb tide. The lifeboat returned to her station in the harbour by 2.55pm.

Lastly, in today's shout (Sunday), the Yarmouth lifeboat was tasked with investigating a report of a drifting submerged dinghy located somewhere north west of Yarmouth Harbour. The lifeboat commenced down tide searches from the reported position and, with help from motor vessel Morvoren, located the dinghy 2.2 nautical miles east north east of the harbour. The stricken dinghy was then towed back to Yarmouth and put ashore.

RNLI media contacts

• Claire Hallett, Yarmouth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer 07814 900398, [email protected]

• Richard Heming, Yarmouth RNLI Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer 07810 371233

• Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) 0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 / [email protected] or Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East)0207 6207416 / 07866 668825 / [email protected]

• For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

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.