Two shouts to same cargo ship in less than 12 hrs
Tenby’s relief RNLI all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch shortly before 2.30pm on Thursday 15th February after a report from the cargo ship Hendrik S reporting an injured crewmember.
The ship was on passage from Dublin to Amsterdam when the Chief Engineer got his fingers trapped in a hatch during heavy seas south of St Govans, breaking several of them.
The volunteer crew were quickly on the water and made best speed towards the sheltered bay at Barafundle, where the Hendrik S had been requested to head to to aid to transfer of the injured crewman.
Once on scene, and in the relative calm of Barafundle Bay, the coxswain positioned the lifeboat alongside the 3200 tonne cargo ship. The injured Chief Engineer, accompanied by the 1st Mate, boarded the lifeboat for the 11 mile trip back to Tenby.
Upon arriving back at the lifeboat station at 3.40pm, the injured crewman made his way to hospital.
At approximately 11.20pm that night, the crew of Tenby’s relief RNLI all-weather lifeboat were paged to once again go to the assistance of the cargo ship Hendrik S.
The skipper of the cargo vessel, which was sheltering off Barafundle, was fearing for the safety of his vessel and crew due to extreme fatigue. His 1st Mate was ashore with the injured Chief Engineer, having been taken ashore by the lifeboat earlier in the day for medical treatment.
The owners of the ship had failed to get transport for the 1st Mate to return to the ship and due to the possible danger posed to the vessel by an extremely tired captain, it was decided to launch the lifeboat to avert a possible grounding of the 3200 tonne cargo ship.
The lifeboat launched at 11.30pm with both the 1st Mate and Chief Engineer aboard and made their way to the Hendrik S. Once alongside, the lifeboat transferred both men back to their vessel, before heading back to Tenby.
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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 over 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 142,700 lives.
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