Saturday morning call for Barry Dock RNLI
Any hopes of a Saturday morning lie-in for the crew of Barry Dock Lifeboat were dashed on Saturday morning when their pagers went off at 7:33am.
The lifeboat crew were called out to a small fishing boat with engine difficulties in Porthkerry Bay, a short distance from Barry Dock Lifeboat Station.
The crew onboard the fishing boat Freedom were hoping for a quiet morning of fishing when their engine failed, so they dropped their anchor and called the Coastguard to ask for assistance while they attempted to get their engine restarted. As the lifeboat was making its way towards the stricken vessel ready to tow them back to Barry Harbour, they were able to restart their engine, and were then able to make their way back to Cardiff Bay.
Barry Dock Lifeboat then escorted the Freedom as it made its way back towards Cardiff Bay for some more thorough repairs to their engine. Once the Freedom had made it safely to the Cardiff Bay Barrage, Barry Dock Lifeboat then headed back to station for a wash down and refuel ready for the next service call.
Station Mechanic Richy Tutton spoke of the importance of engine maintenance before going to sea: 'It's always really important to make sure that all of your engines and machinery are working well before you head out. The most minor issue can mean big trouble when you are out at sea. Luckily, the crew of the Freedom did the right thing and dropped an anchor and called for help before they got into any serious trouble.'
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.
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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.