St Mary's lifeboat in yacht rescue in difficult conditions

The RNLI lifeboat's volunteer crew under the command of coxswain Peter Hicks arrived on the scene of the casualty at 3.30pm in near gale force winds and difficult sea conditions. The French yacht, with two people on board, had reported that their sails had blown out and they were very low on fuel. The Newlyn fishing vessel Nichola of Ladram was standing by, and the Dutch Greenpeace vessel Esperanza that was north of the position translated messages between the lifeboat and the yacht because of language difficulties.

The St Mary's RNLI lifeboat placed a crew member on board the 10 metre yacht and attached a line and then proceeded to tow the yacht to St Mary's arriving at 7.30pm where she was safely placed on a mooring.

Coxswain Peter Hicks gave thanks to the Nichola of Ladram and the Espernza for their valuable help with the rescue.

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

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