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Dunbar RNLI assist German yacht suffering engine failure

Lifeboats News Release

Dunbar’s lifeboat crew rescued a German yacht owner whose engine failed early Monday morning, 6 August.

Dunbar’s lifeboat crew rescued a German yacht owner whose engine failed early on Monday morning, 6 August. UK Coastguard paged for the volunteer crew at 6.36am after the yacht Optimist B became stranded without power or wind a mile north of Torness Power Station. The all weather lifeboat (ALB) was launched from its mooring at Torness at 7.07am and within a few minutes had reached the yacht. The 74-year-old skipper of the 40ft yacht had been sailing single-handedly from Dusseldorf around the UK since May and was on passage to Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth when he suffered technical difficulties. After assessing the situation, the lifeboat crew set up a tow and the ALB John Neville Taylor brought the Optimist B into Dunbar Harbour, where it was moored for repairs. The ALB returned to Torness and by 9.30am was refueled and ready for service

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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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