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Mayday sets off epic 10.5 hour sea rescue of lone yachtsman
Lytham St Annes RNLI Lifeboat brings in a disabled yacht from Morecambe Bay Gas Field in winds gusting to gale force.
After Coxswain Vinny Pedley had delivered a briefing on the situation, the sea charity’s Shannon class lifeboat left the boathouse to head out around 22 miles to the casualty drifting southwards near the Morecambe Bay Offshore Gas Rigs exclusion zone.
The weather at the time of launch was a north-west wind force 5 (up to 24mph) but this rapidly increased to force 7, gusting gale force 8 (up to 46mph) giving very poor and dangerous conditions for the lone yachtsman, who had nearly been thrown overboard several times by the severe motion of the vessel.
The yacht was initially found by the rig standby vessel Grampian Fortress, on safety standby duty at the gas field, but at 58 metres (190 feet) long she was far too large to give ready assistance in the sea conditions other than try and shelter the yacht from the waves as much as possible, leaving it up to the Lytham Lifeboat to give help when she arrived.
The weather and sea by then was becoming very dangerous with 5 metre swells as Coxswain Vinny brought the Barbara Anne as near as possible to the casualty. By now the yacht was only 6 cables (60 feet / 18 metres) from the rigs and there was no alternative in the short time left but to pass a tow line to the yacht to haul her clear of danger.
The owner managed to get along the foredeck, again nearly being thrown overboard, and connect the tow line from the lifeboat which then managed to pull the vessel away from immediate danger. Once clear, the course was set for the long tow to Fleetwood Marina and safety. This took over five hours as speed had to match the sea conditions in the poor weather.
The Lytham RNLI Lifeboat and casualty arrived in the Wyre Estuary where Fleetwood D class Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) Harbet was launched with her volunteer crew to assist the yacht through the narrow lock entrance into Fleetwood Marina at 10am. The service at sea had lasted over 10 hours but one man in great danger was brought safely home.
Coxswain Vinny Pedley later said: 'If the tow had not been connected quickly, consideration had to be given to the very dangerous procedure in those conditions of taking the man off and abandoning the yacht as a navigation hazard but the little time available almost certainly prevented this option from working except as a very last resort.'
Lifeboat Operations Manager Paul Little added: 'Everyone is proud of them, the crew.'
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
David Forshaw, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Lytham St Annes RNLI,
07904 685 206
Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for Wales, West of England and Isle of Man, 07977 728 315, [email protected]
Danielle Rush, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for Wales, West of England and Isle of Man, 07786 668829, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
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