Cullercoats and Tynemouth RNLI in multi-agency rescue of vessel
This morning, (Friday 27th July), Cullercoats Lifeboat crew were requested to launch at 8:09am to reports of a fishing boat run aground at Sharpness Point.
Humber Coastguard requested the lifeboat to launch and assist the vessel and the single crew member on board. The lifeboat launched at 08:17am and was quickly on scene. With Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) standing by, two crew members from Cullercoats took the lifeboat's salvage pump ashore and checked the wellbeing of the casualty. Blyth Coastguard were also paged to assist. The casualty was walked safely off the rocks by Blyth Coastguard and TVLB and it was decided to return to secure the vessel and return at high tide to try and refloat it.
At 1pm, Cullercoats Lifeboat crew returned to the scene and attempted to pump the water out of the boat with their salvage pump along with Blyth Coastguard and TVLB. However, the small salvage pump carried by the Inshore Lifeboat was not powerful enough to empty the boat and it sank, leading to Tynemouth RNLI's All Weather Lifeboat being called out to bring their larger and more powerful salvage pump. In the meantime, the Cullercoats volunteer crew managed to tow the submerged vessel and beach it safely onto King Edward's Bay. When the Tynemouth Lifeboat arrived, the salvage pump was passed on to the Cullercoats lifeboat along with a crew member. The pumping was successful and the fishing boat was towed by Cullercoats lifeboat to North Shields fish quay.
Author: Anna Heslop, Cullercoats Lifeboat crew member and Press Officer; [email protected]
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