Looe and Fowey RNLI lifeboats launched to trawler taking on water

Successfully restarting her engines, the trawler returned to port under her own steam escorted by crew on the Atlantic 85.

Yesterday afternoon, Tuesday 23 July 2019, a Looe fishing trawler requested assistance as she was taking on water and the two crew on board could not stop the ingress of water. With their pagers sounding at 5.07 pm Looe RNLI volunteers quickly launched the charity’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Sheila and Dennis Tongue II. The trawler’s position was reported as approx 15 miles SSW of Looe, the weather was moderate seas with a force 4 south easterly wind and two local fishing vessels were standing by her. Carrying two salvage pumps, volunteer helm Toby Bray opened the throttles of the Atlantic 85 arriving on scene within 30 minutes. At 5.20 pm the volunteer RNLI crew from Fowey were also paged and they launched the all-weather Trent class lifeboat Maurice and Joyce Hardy carrying additional pumps. With the Looe lifeboat alongside, crew members Clive Palfrey and Matt Jaycock went on board to find 4 foot of water in the fish and engine rooms. They soon had both pumps working to stem the flow of the incoming water. Ten minutes later Fowey volunteers arrive on scene transferring two of their crew with a 3^rd, larger, pump which made all the difference .After some 30 minutes of pumping the water levels had dropped allowing Clive and Matt access to the engine room where they discovered the deckwash discharge pipe had become detached, they re-connected the pipe to stop anymore water coming in . Once this was achieved the skipper could re-start his engine and use the trawler’s pump. He was then able to haul in his fishing gear . Recovering her pump, Fowey lifeboat was stood down and returned to station. Under her own steam the trawler made her way back to Looe escorted by the Looe Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat, arriving shortly after 9 pm.

On returning to Looe volunteer helm Clive Palfrey said that the seriousness of the incident meant that all the team at Looe pulled together to make it one of the quickest launches he can remember. There was great team work between our boat and shore crews. The four experienced helms, Toby Bray, Clive Palfrey, Matt Jaycock and Gareth Shaw on the Atlantic 85 made good use of their mechanic skills and knowledge of fishing trawlers to work alongside colleagues from our flank station at Fowey, resulting in a successful outcome. ‘It was all about team work’

END

Notes to editors

No photos from this shout are available

The B Class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat is the fastest sea going lifeboat with top speeds of 35 knots

Photos:

· Stock image - Looe RNLI Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II leaving Looe
Photo credit RNLI / Ian Foster

· Stock image - Fowey RNLI Trent class all-weather lifeboat Maurice and Joyce Hardy
Photo credit RNLI

Information

· Re-established as an inshore lifeboat station in 1992, Looe RNLI operate two inshore lifeboats
An Atlantic 85 Sheila and Dennis Tongue II and a D Class Ollie Naismith

· For further information on Looe RNLI Lifeboats please visit our website www.looelifeboats.co.uk

· Looe RNLI Facebook page www.facebook.com/LooeRNLI

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Ian Foster, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Looe Lifeboat Station, on 07902 753228 or [email protected] or [email protected]

or Cath Beard, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Fowey RNLI on 07969 693218

or Amy Caldwell, RNLI Regional Media Manager, on 07920 818807 or [email protected]

or Emma Haines, RNLI Regional Media Officer, on 07786 668847 or [email protected]

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.