Barrow Lifeboats launched to assist stricken yacht off Walney Island
Volunteer crew from Barrow’s Lifeboat Station launched both lifeboats yesterday morning to go to the aid of a yacht which was unable to start it’s engine.
At 10-18am on Saturday 20th April 2019, as a result of a message from HM Coastguard at Holyhead, the Barrow Inshore Lifeboat “Vision of Tamworth” was launched to go the assistance of a 36 foot long motor yacht with two persons on board, half a mile north east of Walney Lighthouse.
On arrival at the scene, the crew of the inshore lifeboat examined the engine system and found that the fault lay in the battery which could not supply enough power to turn the engine. Due to the increasing strength of the flooding 10 metre spring tide which was due to peak at 12-54pm, the anchor of the disabled vessel began to drag and could not hold the yacht in position.
The situation was by then becoming dangerous, so the crew of the inshore lifeboat called for further assistance and the Barrow all weather lifeboat “Grace Dixon” was launched at 11-15am and was quickly alongside the yacht. The powerful “Grace Dixon” then towed the disabled vessel back to Roa Island where she was moored on the lifeboat station’s emergency mooring so that repairs to the engine system could be made by the owners. Both lifeboats returned to station and were washed down and made ready for the next service by 1-06pm.
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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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