MAYDAY ALERT FOR YACHT AGROUND
Friday night as the volunteers were settling down for the evening the pager sounded at 7.13pm. As the Crew arrived at the Lifeboat Station it became clear that there was a serious situation developing with a yacht and its 5 people on board were about to be stranded having run aground at high water.
Friday night was a high Spring tide which meant that if the RNLI Crew didn’t move fast the yacht with the people on board, would be stuck in the mud. Without delay the crew launched and were able to reach the casualty vessel just a few minutes later. They could be seen from the Lifeboat Station close to Portbury Wharf, just outside of Portishead Marina. Lines were thrown to the yacht and with just half a metre of water under My Lady Anne, Portishead’s Atlantic 85 Lifeboat, they pulled the casualty vessel to the safety of deeper water. The trouble wasn’t over yet, the high waves made setting up a tow line challenging but the Crew volunteers remained calm and organised. This is where the hours of training they commit to, paid off.
As the Skipper of the yacht tried to pull away from the mud using their engine a rope became tangled around the propeller. The strong, fast flowing tides in the Bristol Channel can be treacherous for boat users particularly when things go wrong. If the yacht wasn’t pulled to safety so quickly it could have taken 2 more weeks to move it before the next high Spring tide.
Ian Lazenby, RNLI Helmsman said ‘The crew of the casualty vessel were well equipped it is just unfortunate that they were caught out during their race. If the Skipper had left it much longer to call us, it could have been a different story for them. As we arrived on scene we had just half a metre of water below us so we had to work fast. The experienced Lifeboat Crew’s training paid off today, they were quick thinking and worked extremely well together to bring the yacht to safety.’
After a check to make sure all the casualties were fit and well they were towed to Portishead Marina where they were met by the Portishead Coastguard team. The crew from the yacht were very grateful to everyone who helped with their rescue and said that the RNLI were calm, professional and reassuring. To watch a video of the rescue taken from the helmet camera worn by crew volunteer and local GP Dr Jim Burtonwood, go to this link https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2017/june/25/portishead-rnli-assist-grounded-yacht
Call out 2 for the weekend was Saturday night at 9.20pm the pagers sounded once again as a member of the public reported an object in the water just off of Clevedon Pier. As the crew were getting changed, Clevedon Coastguards arrived on scene and stood the Lifeboat Crew down before they launched. It was a call with good intent.
If you see something in the water you are not sure about always call 999 and report it to the Coastguards. It is always better to be safe.
RNLI notes to editorsAll Images are ©RNLI Portishead
- Towing to safe ground
- Spotted the yacht
- Under tow
- Safety of Portishead Quays Marina
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Helen Lazenby, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07800 595995 or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visit www.rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre www.rnli.org.uk/press
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 over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 200 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. 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 140,000 lives.
A charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland
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.