Porthdinllaen RNLI respond to Pan Pan call for assistance.
Porthdinllaen RNLI all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch at 10:51pm on Monday 28 August by UK Coastguard after they had received a Pan Pan alert call for assistance from a yacht on the Irish Sea.
The lifeboat, with Second Coxswain Robert Jones at the helm and a compliment of volunteer crew, made best headway towards the casualty at a position 25 miles Northwest of Porthdinllaen. On route, more information was received and radio contact was established with the casualty; a 35-foot sailing yacht, who had suffered mechanical issues and due to the calm conditions was unable to sail. The yacht was not in immediate danger but could potentially become a hazard to navigation for other vessels in the area.
On arrival on scene, the situation was assessed and the decision taken that the safest option was to transfer a volunteer crew member over to the casualty vessel to assist in securing a tow line. The vessel would then be towed to the safety of Porthdinllaen Bay.
After nearly four-hours, the yacht was safely secured on a mooring within Porthdinllaen.
With the yacht and crew now on a safe mooring, the lifeboat returned and was refuelled and ready for service by 5:30am.
Second Coxswain Robert Jones said: ‘With the vessel unable to manoeuvre, the yacht posed a danger to others and to eliminate this risk, our safest option for all maritime traffic, was to tow the yacht to Porthdinllaen and out of harms way. As always, thanks to our volunteer crew who respond to assist in helping those in need of assistance’.
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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 142,700 lives.
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