
Dragging anchor puts yacht in danger of grounding
Shortly after Swanage's volunteer crew completed their weekly training, the pagers sounded for an incident in Studland.
The all-weather lifeboat, the Shannon class 'George Thomas Lacy', was tasked to aid a yacht in Studland Bay whose anchor was dragging in the brisk north-easterly wind. The yacht, with 5 crew on board, had lost engine power in Durlston Bay and had sailed to Studland to shelter. When their anchor began to drag they found themselves very close to grounding and used their VHF radio to broadcast an urgency 'Pan Pan' call.
The lifeboat located the yacht around 10 minutes after launch and quickly established a tow to bring the boat into safer water. The yacht was towed into Poole Quay Yacht Haven and secured for the night with the help of Poole Coastguards. The lifeboat was then able to return to Swanage to be washed down and re-housed, at around 11.15pm
ALB Crew: (Coxn) Tom Greasty, Steve Williams, Gavin Steeden, Matthew Steeden, Roydon Woodford, Phil Palmer
Shore Crew: (Head Launcher) Andy Redout, (Winchman) Dave Turnbull, Scott Turner, Adam O'Neill, Archie Burgess
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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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