Barrow Lifeboats assist Fishing Vessel in Walney Channel

The request for assistance came from the HM Coastguard base in Holyhead, at 2-35pm. The information received was that a 26-foot (8 metre) fishing vessel had broken down in Walney Channel at a position south east of the Walney Lighthouse.

The crew was paged and the all weather lifeboat ‘Grace Dixon’, was launched at 2-50pm under the command of Coxswain, Shaun Charnley, assisted by five crew. The lifeboat proceeded to the scene and after an assessment of the situation it was decided to take the stricken vessel under tow back to Barrow. The inshore lifeboat, ‘Vision of Tamworth’, with Ben Jackson at the helm and two crew on board, was also launched and subsequently took over the tow close to the Barrow Dock Entrance.

Once the casualty vessel was safely back on it’s mooring, north of Jubilee Bridge, the lifeboats returned to the boathouse where they were cleaned and made ready for the next launch.

The wind at the time of the incident was south-westerly, Force 2, and the high tide not due until 6-56pm with a height of 7.2 metres.

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