Broken down yacht towed to safety by Southport Lifeboat and Hoylake RNLI
Broken down yacht towed to safety by Southport Lifeboat and Hoylake RNLI
Lifeboats News Release
When a 36 foot yacht suffered engine and steering failure off Southport on Wednesday 18 August, Southport Offshore Rescue Trust and Hoylake RNLI lifeboat were requested to launch by the UK Coastguard to assist. The yacht had 3 people on board and was in danger of being blown ashore.
Southport Offshore Rescue Trust
Hoylake RNLI lifeboat takes the 36ft yacht under tow
Southport Offshore Rescue Trust’s Arctic 24 lifeboat Heather White was tasked at 4.33pm and launched to establish a tow. The lifeboat began to towing the casualty vessel towards the River Mersey, before Hoylake RNLI’s Shannon class lifeboat
Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood and her volunteer crew were tasked at 5.26pm to take over the tow and bring the vessel into Liverpool.
Hoylake Lifeboat launched and headed to the scene, taking over the tow from Southport Lifeboat off Formby. A Hoylake RNLI crew member was also put on board the casualty vessel to monitor the towline and assist the yacht’s crew.
The lifeboat towed the casualty vessel back into the Queen’s Channel, with Southport Lifeboat remaining with the tow as far as Crosby before standing down and heading back for recovery.
Hoylake Lifeboat then proceeded up the River Mersey and towed the casualty vessel to the Brunswick Lock entrance of Liverpool Marina. Once the yacht was safely in the lock, Hoylake Lifeboat returned to the lifeboat station to be recovered and made ready for service again.
Keith Porter, Senior Coxswain of Southport Lifeboat, said: ‘When we arrived on scene with the casualty vessel there was a danger of her being blown ashore, which would have put her crew in significant danger. We were able to put one of our volunteer crew members aboard and get her safely under tow towards the River Mersey.’
‘We met Hoylake Lifeboat off the coast of Formby to hand over the tow and assisted them in getting one of their crew members onboard. We stayed alongside to offer support whilst navigating the bend of the Queen’s Channel, before leaving Hoylake Lifeboat to complete the journey to Liverpool Marina.’
Hoylake RNLI Coxswain Howie Owen said: ‘Working closely with our colleagues at Southport Lifeboat, together we were able to bring the casualty vessel and its crew back to the safety of Liverpool Marina. Mechanical failure is the single biggest cause of RNLI rescue call outs to sailing and motor cruisers. If you get into difficulty at sea, always call the Coastguard on VHF Channel 16 or by dialling 999 or 112.’
Editors notes
Hoylake RNLI lifeboat station was founded in 1803 and is one of the oldest RNLI lifeboat stations in the UK.
Southport Lifeboat is run by the Southport Offshore Rescue Trust and provides a lifeboat and land based search and rescue service around the Sefton coastline. It is a registered declared facility with the Maritime Coastguard Agency.
Independent of the RNLI, the Trust relies on donations and fundraising to support itself to provide a first class lifesaving service in an area of coast and water covering between the River Mersey and the River Ribble, and up to 25 miles offshore.
Southport Offshore Rescue Trust
Southport Lifeboat was first on scene and took the yacht under tow
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.
