Houseboat spiralling out of control brought to safety by Chiswick RNLI crew

The crew found a large 2 storey houseboat was drifting haphazardly with the strong incoming tide. There were many leisure boaters on the river enjoying the early evening sunshine including paddle boarders and rowers as well as several motor cruisers. It was apparent the lifeboat crew needed to gain control of the vessel quickly in order to avoid further damage or injury.

A crew man went aboard and soon found there was no one present. An alongside tow was prepared but once attached helmsman Mark Turrell decided that he didn’t have sufficient control of the unwieldy houseboat, built on a square ended pontoon. The crew set up an astern tow, while the lifeboat held the vessel gently against the overhanging branches of trees on Brentford Ait, prevented it from drifting and spiralling further upriver without causing damage. Once the line was set up the vessel was slowly towed to the pontoon by the entrance to Brentford dock where the crew moored it safely with four lines.

It appeared that the vessel had been berthed behind Brentford Ait and had come adrift causing damage to other vessels and had also smashed into the footbridge onto the Ait.

RNLI Helmsman Mark Turrell commented ‘Once again our training, speed of response and the capability of the E Class RNLI lifeboat to handle large vessels out of control made sure that a hazardous situation was brought swiftly under control without further damage or harm.’

Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended one 3,200 incidents and rescued over 1,620 people. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.

RNLI media contacts

• David Clarke RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Chiswick), 07951 21 0500 [email protected]
• Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207416, 07786 668825, [email protected]
• For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

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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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