St Mary's RNLI rescue single-handed yachtsman
A lone sailor 24 nautical miles South South West of the Isles of Scilly requested help as his yacht was taking in water.
Although the sailor has managed to stem the flow it was decided to place two crew members with a savage pump on board the vessel as a precaution. The assessment was that the water ingress was coming from the prop shaft, which meant using the engine to reach St. Mary's would probably flood the yacht.
Consequently, a tow line was passed aboard and the yacht was successfully towed back to St. Mary's harbour and was placed at anchor as there were no visitor's moorings available.
The lifeboat was then refuelled at 6pm and placed back on the moorings ready for service.
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 142,700 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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