Sennen Cove RNLI assists Scilly ferry
On Wednesday 28 August at 11.10 am, HM Coastguard Falmouth requested the assistance of the Sennen Cove lifeboat, following reports that the Isles of Scilly Ferry, with 300 people on board, was in difficulties about four miles south west of Gwennap Head. She had lost engine power and was drifting.
The RNLI Tamar class lifeboat City of London III launched at 11.20 am. Initially, the lifeboat crew were asked to stand by the Scillonian, report the amount of drift, and be ready if necessary to evacuate a very debilitated passenger suffering from sea sickness. When the lifeboat arrived on scene, the crew of the ferry had managed to restart one of the engines, and she was slowly making her way back to Penzance.
The City of London III escorted the ferry on her passage to Penzance in case of any further emergency. When they arrived in Mount's Bay, Penzance harbour vessels were on hand to assist the ferry, and at 12.50 pm it was decided that the lifeboat could be stood down and she returned to Sennen Cove.
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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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