Fishguard RNLI crew drop quiz night to aid yacht in stormy seas
Crew members had just received their meals leading up to a charity fundraising quiz at The Royal Oak in Fishguard when requested to launch.
HM Coastguard requested the launch of the charity’s Trent class all weather lifeboat Blue Peter VII at 7.28pm on Thursday 5 September, just as crew were gathering for a charity pub quiz night being held to raise funds for RNLI Fishguard.
Crew had just been brought their meals when the pagers sounded and the request came to provide aid to a yacht which was in the area of Cemaes Head and making way for Fishguard having been unable to gain access to Cardigan due to conditions.
The yacht was one of three travelling as a group but had suffered engine failure and was making little headway under sail.
Whilst on route to the casualty the lifeboat and its volunteer crew had experienced sea swells up to 4 metres in height, and upon reaching the casualty an assessment was carried out on the best means of assisting them.
Although the casualty was making slow headway it would have taken considerable time to make the journey, which would have increased the risk to the casualty as the conditions could have quickly led them to be fatigued and cold. Given this, and the risk involved in transferring people between vessels in such conditions, the decision was made to pass a tow line to the casualty vessel in order to take it under tow to the nearest safe port of Fishguard.
Once under tow the casualty’s companions who had stayed nearby until assistance arrived made their own way under sail to the same port to await the arrival of the lifeboat. With the vessel under tow, the lifeboat made the slow journey back.
On arrival in Fishguard harbour the casualty vessel was taken from an astern tow into and alongside tow and manoeuvred into position to pick up the station’s casualty mooring where it could spend the night and its owner could assess the repairs required for the onward journey.
While the lifeboat was assisting the casualty, shore based volunteers from Fishguard RNLI represented the station at the charity quiz and held a raffle for those in attendance. In total the evening raised £326.55 to be added to the station’s fundraising branch total.
Volunteer all weather lifeboat crew and trainee navigator, Jessica Rogers, said: ‘As is typical in the life of a volunteer, one moment I was settling down for a fun evening at a quiz and not 20 minutes later I was heading out on the rough sea.
'This was a challenging shout for the crew due to the sea conditions and the onset of darkness, but the team worked well together and despite the challenges managed to establish a tow to the grateful yacht and bring them back safely to Fishguard harbour.
'This yacht had VHF radio and was travelling in a group so had support and a means of calling for help when they got into trouble. We would always encourage people heading out to sea to check the weather forecast in advance, carry a means of calling for help and let someone know your expected route and arrival time.
'Despite the rough ride, everyone was all smiles once we made it back to the station shortly before midnight, crew and casualty alike.’
Notes to editors:
- Attached photo (Photo 1) shows a stock image of Blue Peter VII in rough conditions(18 August 2023). Photo credit: RNLI/Cedwyn Rogers
Media Contacts
For more information please contact Cedwyn Rogers, Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected] or RNLI Regional Communications Manager Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith on [email protected] / 07977 728 315 or Regional Communications Lead Danielle Rush on [email protected] or 07786 668 829
For out of hours enquiries please contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336 789
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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.