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Five rescued from boat aground in the River Dart.

Lifeboats News Release

Five teachers went aground in a Hire Boat on the Flat Owers mudbank.

Five people hired a motor launch from Dartmouth and at 10.50am, one hour after high water, went aground on the Flat Owers mud bank up the River Dart. Falmouth Coastguard tasked the Dart RNLI D class to assess the situation. The boat was found to be 150m from navigable water and a crew member was given permission by the Coastguard to assess their condition, take them water and provide a radio for communication. In view of the length of time before they would float free the Coastguard decided to deploy their mud rescue teams from Teignmouth and Prawle.

The Teignmouth team assembled on Greenway Quay, inflated their rescue raft and two Coastguard mud rescue technicians and their equipment were taken on board. In the mean time the Dart RNLI B class crew had been assembled at the lifeboat station and, with the permission of the Area Lifesaving Manager, brought the Prawle Coastguard team and their equipment to the scene. Three Coastguard technicians towed the two rescue rafts across the mud, trailing two 200m floating lines. The D class crew took one of the lines to the B class lifeboat through a pulley that had been attached to a moored buoy. The B class was able to pull the rescue raft with three teachers and one technician to the water's edge where they were taken on board the D class and transferred to the B class. By that time the hire boat was floating with two people on board and could be pulled by the two technicians to the D class. The D class crew transferred the Teignmouth equipment and coastguard team to Greenway Quay and the B class lifeboat accompanied the hire boat and took the Prawle team and those rescued to Dartmouth.
Coastguard technicians took two rescue rafts across the mud to the grounded craft.

RNLI/Will Davis

Coastguard technicians took two rescue rafts across the mud to the grounded craft.
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The coastguards prepared to bring the first three teachers back to safety.

RNLI/Will Davis

The coastguards prepared to bring the first three teachers back to safety.
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The rescue raft was towed back across the mud by the Atlantic 75 lifeboat.

RNLI/Will Davis

The rescue raft was towed back across the mud by the Atlantic 75 lifeboat.
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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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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About the author

Dr John Fenton
Lifeboat Press Officer, Dart Lifeboat Station

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