Barrow RNLI Lifeboat rescues crew of sinking fishing boat
Volunteer crew from the RNLI’s Barrow station launched their Inshore Lifeboat this afternoon, Saturday 8th September 2018, to go to the aid of the crew of a fishing boat that was sinking in Walney Channel.
The call for assistance came from HM Coastguard at Holyhead at 12-56pm following a 999 call from the two people on the vessel. The information received was that their vessel was sinking after having struck something in the Head Scar area of Walney Channel, west of Roa Island. The crew was paged and the inshore lifeboat, Vision of Tamworth, was launched at 1-08pm with Andy Baxter at the helm assisted by Adam Cleasby. Fortunately, the location of the stricken fishing boat meant that the lifeboat was on the scene within a couple of minutes of launching. The boat was sinking fast and the two crew members, who were both wearing life jackets, were clinging to it as it sank. They were pulled from the water by the crew of the lifeboat and brought back to the lifeboat station where their condition was assessed to ensure that they were not suffering from the effects of hypothermia.
The lifeboat then returned to the stricken fishing boat as its position made it a potential hazard to other vessels transiting the Walney Channel. With the additional assistance of RNLI volunteer Ben Hall, on his first call-out as lifeboat crew, the stricken boat was towed back to the slipway at Roa Island Boat Club.
Following the successful rescue and recovery operation, the lifeboat proceeded back to the Lifeboat Station where it was cleaned and made ready for the next launch.
The wind at the time of the incident was westerly, Force 5, and the high tide had been at 11-03am with a height of 8.9 metres.
Key facts about the RNLI
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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