Burnham-on-Sea RNLI tasked to assist disabled yacht
Burnham-on-Sea volunteers had been undergoing their regular Sunday morning training, and Atlantic 85 lifeboat Doris Day and Brian had just been recovered at 11.30 am.
It transpired that a local yacht had lost engine power whilst returning to the sailing club pontoons in the River Brue. Milford Haven Coastguard being already aware, the Atlantic lifeboat was re-launched and able to assist the stricken craft with an alongside tow, delivering it safely to it’s berth.
Atlantic Helmsman Nick Edrich said; ‘The skipper of the boat found that the engine of his yacht would not start when he wanted to return to the Yacht Club after sailing on the river Parret. He did the right thing by requesting a tow from the Lifeboat which had just been recovered after an exercise. The casualty vessel was soon safely berthed at the Yacht Club and the Lifeboat stood down.’
Lifeboat Doris Day and Brian was safely recovered, and brought to the lifeboat station for wash down, and sanitising by RNLI volunteer shore and boat crew members
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Images with this release:
File name: Doris1 (RNLI/Mike Lang)A library photo of Burnham-on-Sea Atlantic 85 lifeboat Doris Day and Brian
File name: Crew (RNLI Tim Walters) A lifeboat crew’s view
File name: Tow (RNLI Tim Walters) The stricken craft was given an alongside tow, safely to it’s berth
Lifeboats in service at Burnham-on-Sea:
A 7.5m Atlantic 75 named Doris Day and Brian plus a smaller 4.95m D class IB1 inflatable named Burnham Reach The station was opened officially on 15th May 2004, but has been operational since December 2003.
Note During 2019 the RNLI was facing a ‘perfect storm’, with a reduced income and an increase in demand for it’s services. During 2020 and 2021, in the midst of a global pandemic, fundraising has been severely reduced by a national lockdown, yet the lifeboats have still been launched 24/7 in their strategy to save lives at sea.
Click this link to donate; https://rnli.org/support-us/give-money/give-to-a-special-appeal/summer-appeal
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For more information about this release please telephone Mike Lang, RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07889 815860 or email [email protected],
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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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