Ilfracombe RNLI lifeboat launches to fishing vessel with engine failure
The RNLI volunteer crew were paged by the Coastguard at 11.51 a.m. on Sunday 22 November to assist a fishing vessel with engine failure eight miles off shore from Ilfracombe.
The volunteer crew quickly launched the Shannon Class all-weather lifeboat The Barry and Peggy High Foundation and headed north east from Ilfracombe to where the fishing vessel the Our Dylan Ben was drifting.
The lifeboat arrived on scene 20 minutes later and RNLI Volunteer Coxswain Andrew Bengey assessed the situation and decided that it was not necessary for a crew member to board the fishing vessel. A tow line was set up and thrown across to the crew of the Our Dylan Ben and the lifeboat towed the vessel safely back to Ilfracombe harbour arriving two and a half hours later. The Our Dylan Ben was manoeuvred alongside the harbour wall and the lifeboat was recovered and made ready for the next service.
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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