
Porthdinllaen RNLI respond to Mayday distress call.
At 12:35 PM, UK Coastguard at Holyhead requested the immediate launch of Porthdinllaen`s All weather Lifeboat after a Mayday distress call was received from a yacht in Caernarfon Bay.
The 38 foot vessel, with three persons on board, was taking in water, approximately 4 miles South of Caernarfon Bay. As with all Mayday calls, the lifeboat with Coxswain Owain Williams at the helm, made the best possible speed towards the last known position, and within 30 minutes of launching, the lifeboat was alongside the casualty vessel.
On scene, the Coxswain decided that a lifeboat crew member would go on board the yacht to assess the situation and try to determine the entry point for the ingress of water and any damage. After the initial assessment, a salvage pump from the lifeboat was placed on board the yacht and commenced pumping, with the water by this time well over the floorboards of the yacht.
After bringing the matter under control, and with no possibility of the yacht using it`s own engine, Coxswain Williams decided that the safest method of recovery was to tow the yacht towards the nearest safe haven, which was Holyhead.
When near Rhosneigr, Anglesey, the tow was successfully passed to Holyhead Lifeboat who continued the tow in to Holyhead Harbour,
Coxswain Owain Williams added “The casualty were alarmed when they found that their vessel was taking in water and did the correct thing in calling for assistance. All three persons on board were equipped with lifejackets and had a means for calling for assistance. As always, it was a pleasure to work alongside our counterparts from Holyhead Lifeboat Station.”
After returning to station, the lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service by 4:45 PM.
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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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