
Early morning shout for Yarmouth RNLI to sinking motor cruiser at The Needles
Thursday 20 July saw Yarmouth RNLI volunteers awoken at 6:15am to a Mayday call of a sinking vessel with 14 people onboard at the Isle of Wight’s most western point, Scratchell's Bay.
With haste, Yarmouth RNLI Lifeboat 17-25 Eric and Susan Hiscock – Wanderer made good speed with her crew to towards the Needles lighthouse to reports of a motor cruiser rapidly taking on water.
Once on scene, alongside Freshwater Independent Lifeboat and HM Solent Coastguard, the RNLI lifeboat and her crew began to start the safe transfer of those onboard the sinking vessel, who had also already deployed their own life raft.
It was determined that the sunken motor cruiser had then settled in its position at Scratchell's Bay and had run aground, and arrangements to salvage the vessel would be made later in the day.
Once the 14 casualties had been successfully transferred to the RNLI lifeboat and medically assessed by the crew, the decision was made for all to be taken into Lymington Harbour and dropped onto the Harbour master’s pontoon.
Yarmouth RNLI then made her way back to station and was marked as ready for service at 8:41am
Notes to editors
- Yarmouth RNLI Lifeboat 17-25 Eric and Susan Hiscock ‘Wanderer’ came into service in 2001, prior to that Yarmouth RNLI had an Arun Class Lifeboat 52-08 Joy and John Wade which was in service for 23 years.
- Freshwater Independent Lifeboat - Founded by local members of the community in 1972, the Freshwater Lifeboat Station is owned and operated by the Freshwater Independent Lifeboat Service and is located in the village of Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight
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● Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East), 0207 6207426, 07785 296252
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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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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.
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.
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.