Clacton RNLI lifeboat assists dive boat acting as a Good Samaritan at sea.
The volunteer crew of Clacton’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat launched on Tuesday (5 September), to assist the crew of a dive boat which was attempting to tow a yacht into Brightlingsea harbour.
The Good Samaritans, aboard the dive boat Pioneer, had taken the 26ft yacht on tow after it had got into difficulty, but due to sea conditions both vessels were struggling to make good time and risked being trapped by the falling tide outside of Brightlingsea. .
The crew of the Pioneer called for help and Clacton’s relief Atlantic 85 lifeboat Norma Ethel Vinall launched at 4.45pm to meet up with the dive boat and take over the tow. The state of the sea was described as moderate with a Force 3 South Westerly wind.
The lifeboat met up with the dive boat near the Swin Spitway (approximately five miles south of Lion Point Jaywick), where a RNLI crew member was placed on board the yacht and the tow taken over, allowing the dive boat to make it back to harbour safely before the tide changed.
The Norma Ethal Vinall proceeded to Brightlingsea harbour with the yacht on tow, but couldn’t enter due to a lack of water and had to tie up to a buoy and wait for the tide to turn.
While tied up, the UK Coastguard contacted the Clacton lifeboat crew and requested them to check on the welfare of another yacht and its crew, which had gone aground in the Colne River estuary. A member of the lifeboat crew was left with the first yacht (which had been taken under tow) and it was tied to the buoy while the lifeboat left to attend to the second yacht.
On arrival the yacht was discovered to be the Rosa Ryal with three people on board.
As nothing could be done to help until the tide changed and since the Rosa Ryal was bound for Tollesbury, the crew of the RNLI Mersea Lifeboat were requested to launch and assist the Rosa Ryal. The Clacton lifeboat waited for the arrival of the Mersea lifeboat to make sure those on board stayed safe, before returning to the first yacht, and made ready to enter Brightlingsea harbour.
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