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Yacht taking on water assisted by Poole RNLI and Police launch

Lifeboats News Release

Poole lifeboat was requested to launch by UK Coastguard just after 3pm (Sunday July 24) after a ‘Mayday’ call was received from a 27ft yacht along with a DSC - DSC or Digital Selective Calling is a standard method of transmitting messages via VHF.

RNLI/Poole

Poole volunteers transferring the salvage pump
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The yacht with two adults and one child on board found that their vessel had encountered an ingress and was taking on water, they were just off Salterns.

The Police boat Buccaneer was in the vicinity, and responded to the Mayday. When the lifeboat arrived on-scene they found that the police boat had taken two people off the yacht, (a woman and child) and had the stricken vessel undertow.

Conditions in the harbour were lumpy extremely wet with a strong south westerly wind F5-6

The lifeboat arrived on scene and transferred a crew member across onto the yacht to check out the ingress, which appeared to be coming from a shaft seal, the salvage pump was passed across, to help stem the flow, and ‘Buccaneer’ continued to tow the stricken yacht to New Quay, a commercial Berth as there was no lift out facility available.

With ‘no immediate threat to life’ and the yacht alongside, the lifeboat crew member transferred back to the lifeboat, along with the salvage pump and the volunteers headed back to the station.

After a wash down and refuel the lifeboat was ready for service by 5pm.

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 142,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

About the author

Anne-Marie Clark
Lifeboat Press Officer, Poole Lifeboat Station

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