Rhyl RNLI volunteers rescue two adults and two dogs from sinking speedboat

The men did not have a radio to contact the coastguard, but were able to contact the UK coastguard at Holyhead by mobile phone. The coastguard immediately paged Rhyl All-weather lifeboat crew who prepared the lifeboat to be ready for launch. The initial position given by the men , of off Kinmel Bay, was found to be inaccurate, and the boat was eventually found some four miles to the North-East, due to the wind and tide.
The lifeboat crew were able to locate the vessel visually, and were alongside soon afterwards. The back of the boat was low in the water, and the outboard engine compartment was full of water. A tow was established and crew members were transferred from the lifeboat to the vessel to help with this. The men and the two dogs were taken on board the lifeboat. It soon became clear the vessel was shipping more water, and so the lifeboat's salvage pump was transferred and soon helped to keep the ingress of water to a manageable level whilst the tow was re-established.
As the tide was out at Rhyl, local volunteer coastguards retrieved the men's trailer from the harbour yard, and brought it to the lifeboat station, where the boat was recovered. The men were then taken back by road by the coastguards, with their boat, to their car.
Martin Jones, Rhyl lifeboat coxswain said ' We thought at first this would be a normal tow job, but we soon realised the boat was sinking when we got alongside. The crew worked really well as a team to stop any more water filling the boat, resulting in a successful rescue'.
The men were safe and well, as well as the dogs, after their rescue. Some safety advice was given by the local coastguard volunteers as to what radio equipment and location devices were available to locate their position more accurately in the future.
The pictures shown are credit Rhyl RNLI/Paul Frost, except where the picture of the two dogs is courtesy Tara Elliot, RNLI crew member. The lifeboat track is courtesy of www.marinetraffic.com

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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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