Margate lifeboat assists yacht following collision
Margate’s RNLI lifeboat has provided assistance to a yacht after it was in collision with a ship off the north Kent coast.
Around 3pm today (Friday 29 April) UK Coastguard received a Pan Pan urgency signal from a 27ft sailing yacht with two persons on board reporting that they had been in collision with a merchant vessel in the area of the Margate Roads off the north Kent coast. The two occupants reported they were unharmed but their vessel had lost mechanical power and also its mainsail and they were able to sail downwind only under a foresail.
Margate’s RNLI B class Atlantic 85 lifeboat was tasked to assess the situation and assist where required. The casualty vessel was located south of North Foreland and the lifeboat crew’s initial priority was to check on the welfare of the occupants who were wearing lifejackets and were unharmed. The yacht was however unable to make way towards Ramsgate, the nearest port of refuge and after assessing the situation the lifeboat took the casualty vessel under tow to the safety of Ramsgate harbour where it was secured alongside. After a final check on the yacht’s two crew the lifeboat returned to station.
Notes to editors
· Margate lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/margate-lifeboat-station
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For more information please contact:
· Peter Barker, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07974 064304 or [email protected]
· Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East) on 0207 6207416, 07786 668825 or [email protected]
· RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
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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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