Last night (22th May) Appledore RNLI volunteer crew were called out to a boat in trouble a few miles North of Lundy. Totally becalmed and with engine failure, the yacht called the Coastguard for help. Appledore all-weather boat was launched just after 5 pm, reaching the casualty at around 6.15 pm and taking it safety under tow.
As Appledore lifeboat would be battling both the tide and water depth to bring the yacht back to the Torridge Taw estuary, and as both Tenby and Ilfracombe harbours also dry out, it was decided to take the casualty vessel to Milford Haven which has 27/7 deep water access.
Angle all-weather lifeboat was launched and the tow passed between the two lifeboats at 8.15 pm. Appledore RNLI returned to station and was ready for service again two hours later, with Angle lifeboat and the casualty arriving at Milford half an hour after midnight.
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.
