Selsey RNLI responds to Mayday call from 33ft yacht.
UK Coastguard requested the launch of the Selsey inshore lifeboat (ILB) after receiving a mayday call from a 33ft yacht with 3 persons aboard reporting they had run aground off Selsey Bill.
The Selsey D class lifeboat launched at 5.52pm on Sunday 5 April and headed at best speed to a position updated by the casualty approximately 1nm west of Selsey Bill. At 5.59pm the ILB arrived on scene to find the yacht had floated off the shingle bank. The ILB manoeuvred close enough to the vessel to be able to talk to the crew to ascertain if any damage or water ingress had occurred during the time the vessel was aground. The weather on scene was wind Westerly force 4 sea state smooth in sunshine.
The crew of the yacht reported everything was ok and they were happy to carry on with their passage to Hartlepool from Falmouth. The ILB escorted the yacht out to the Looe channel buoys and safe waters before returning to station. A guard vessel from a local cable laying operation also responded to the mayday. The ILB returned to station at 6.26pm and was rehoused straight away. The crew today were Helmsman Harry Emmence, James Albrey and Dan Langford.
The Helmsman Harry Emmence said how surprised he was to get a call to a yacht aground after the advice from the UK government during the current covid-19 emergency. On this occasion we were able to keep a distance from the persons on the vessel as the safety of our crews is paramount. But the RNLI crews will always respond to an emergency.
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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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