
Lymington Lifeboat responds to reports of abandoned yacht aground near Beaulieu
At 10.27am on Wednesday 28 June, Lymington Lifeboat crew pagers sounded following a report of a 40ft yacht aground on the shoreline at Needs Ore Point, near the Beaulieu River.
The National Coastwatch Institution at Calshot had a visual on the yacht but could not see any sign of life onboard.
Lifeboat helmsman Phil Baker led a search along the shoreline to the grounded vessel and once on scene two crewmembers were put ashore to check for signs of life. No persons were found, and the anchor was stowed, however food, a laptop and a used flare pointed to someone having recently been on the yacht.
HM Coastguard were able to relay news to the lifeboat crew that the owner of the boat had been located safe and well with the Beaulieu harbourmaster. The owner returned to the vessel and after reviewing the situation, it was decided that he would return to Beaulieu and liaise with the Coastguard regarding the retrieval of his vessel.
Running aground is one of the hazards of going to sea. Good seamanship is demonstrated in how you respond to the incident, and how you minimise the danger. If you find yourself totally stuck, you should alert the Coastguard and wait for the tide to lift you off. If you are not in danger, the Coastguard will monitor your situation until you re-float.
'Our main concern was the missing crew but we were relieved to locate the owner of the yacht and happy to help coordinate at the scene'. commented Phil Baker. 'It is important to notify the Coastguard if you choose to leave your grounded vessel unattended and wise to lay an anchor in such a situation'.
Crew: Phil Baker (Helm), Piers Horobin, Declan O’Riordan, James Lever.
RNLI Contact details:
Jo Styles, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Lymington Lifeboat Station (07725) 640871 [email protected]
Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer, SE and London (07785) 296252 [email protected]
For enquiries outside normal business hours contact the RNLI duty press officer on (01202) 336789
RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.
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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Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.