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Fishing vessel assisted by St Mary's RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

The volunteer crew of St Mary's RNLI lifeboat under the command of Peter Hicks, went to the aid of a 40-foot fishing vessel.

The call for assistance came at 9.50pm on October 23. The fishing vessel, with four on board, was disabled due to fishing gear entangled around the propeller and the vessel was drifting the Traffic Separation Scheme some 18-nautical miles south of St Mary's.

The sea conditions were described as lively with a strong southerly wind and a sizeable swell. The lifeboat arrived at the casualty vessel at around 11pm and assessed the situation. Due to the vessel's location, a decision was made to tow the vessel to St Mary's, the nearest safe harbour.

The tow took four hours, before the stricken vessel was moored safely alongside the quay at St Mary's. Once the casualty was secure the volunteer crew then refuelled the lifeboat and placed her back on the mooring ready for the next shout.

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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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.

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