Cardigan RNLI lifeboat crew assist sailing vessel in difficulty

This morning at 9am, HM Coastguard tasked Cardigan RNLI’s D class inshore lifeboat to a sailing vessel upriver on the River Teifi, that had lost engine power and was drifting and taking on water.

On arrival, the crew discovered that the vessel had also experienced a small electrical fire in the engine area, which the sailor had extinguished. The sailor had moved safely into their tender, a small boat used to travel to and from the larger vessel.

The sailing vessel had run aground, drifting onto a sandbank, with approximately 1m of water inside the cabin. With no anchor on board, the lifeboat crew used a spare RNLI anchor to help secure the vessel and make it safe ahead of the next high tide, when it is expected to refloat.

The crew then safely escorted the sailor in their tender to The Moorings. Due to the rough sea conditions, the lifeboat was also recovered at The Moorings, the station’s alternative launch and recovery site.

Paul Adams, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Cardigan RNLI, said:

'We would always encourage anyone heading out on the water to check their engine and equipment before setting off, carry appropriate safety equipment and make sure you have a reliable means of calling for help. If you get into difficulty at sea, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.'

The lifeboat crew recovered the D class at The Moorings, where it was returned to the station, refuelled and ready for service again by 12pm.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Katie Anderson-Hammersley, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for Cardigan RNLI, [email protected]

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]

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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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