Barrow RNLI called to Assist Stricken Yacht
Volunteer crew from the RNLI’s Barrow Lifeboat Station launched their all-weather lifeboat yesterday evening to go to the aid of a yacht which had broken down after sailing from Barrow earlier in the day.
The call for assistance came through from the regional HM Coastguard base in Holyhead at 9-35pm. The information received was that a seven-metre (21 foot) yacht with two people on board had lost all engine power whilst on passage from Barrow to Fleetwood.
The crew was paged and the all-weather lifeboat, ‘Grace Dixon’, was launched at 9-53pm under the command of Coxswain Shaun Charnley assisted by six crew. The lifeboat was tasked with taking over the tow of the casualty vessel which had earlier been picked up, seven miles west of Blackpool by RNLI crew from Lytham St Annes. The Barrow lifeboat was requested by HM Coastguard to tow the yacht back to Barrow.
The ‘Grace Dixon’ made good time and was at the scene shortly before 10-30pm whereupon Lytham handed over to Barrow after all necessary checks were made. The casualty vessel was duly towed back to Barrow and was secured to a mooring off Roa Island. The crew of the yacht were returned safely ashore and after being made ready for the next launch, the lifeboat was re-housed. The incident was closed out at 1-30am (Friday).
The weather at the time of the incident was fine and clear. The wind was south-easterly, Force 1 – 2, with high water due at 2-11am (Friday) with a predicted height of 9.7 metres.
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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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