Minehead RNLI lifeboat rescue lobster boat
A North Devon lobster fisherman was rescued by Minehead’s volunteer lifeboat crew after his boat broke down on its first outing of the year this afternoon (12 April)
The Lynmouth-based skipper was laying pots from his 23-foot vessel when it suffered engine failure and was left drifting close to notorious Foreland Point this afternoon.
Coastguards alerted the Minehead crew after communications with him were lost.
Minehead’s Atlantic 85 was launched immediately and found the boat drifting dangerously close to rocks under the headland. The crew set up a stern tow to pull him clear then switched to an alongside tow to return to the boat to its moorings in Lynmouth harbour.
Minehead lifeboat helm Phil Sanderson said: “He was in quite a difficult situation, fairly close in to the rocks. Luckily conditions were calm and there was barely any wind but he was still very glad to see us.”
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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