Beaumaris Lifeboat volunteers tasked to a yacht with engine failure.
Yesterday at 12.58 pm on Tuesday 23 April 2024 the volunteer crew members of the Beaumaris lifeboat received a page from the U.K. Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre as Holyhead relating to 13.5 metre yacht drifting due to engine failure located near Y Felinheli.in the Menai Strait.
Pupils from the Brynsiecyn primary school on a school visit to the lifeboat station for a water safety presentation had the talk cut short when the crew pagers went off. The children having previously been instructed what to do if the pagers went off moved to the designated place of safety so they could watch the lifeboat launch.
The lifeboat launched at 1.12 pm proceeding towards the location of the yacht Once on scene and having ensured that all was well with the two adults aboard. an assessment was made by the Helm of the lifeboat was in consultation with H.M. Coastguard as to the best course of action.
Because the yacht’s engine had failed and the vessel had no means of proceeding safely back to shore, there was also a risk that the vessel may block the narrow navigable channel it was decided for safety reasons that the boat should be towed to the nearest safe mooring.
Once the tow was safely completed, the lifeboat was released by the Coastguard to return to station and it was back at Beaumaris Lifeboat Station at 2.10pm to be refuelled and cleaned.
A RNLI spokesperson said: ‘The yacht crew did the correct thing in alerting the Coastguard to their predicament. This meant our volunteer lifeboat crew were able to reach the casualty quickly, assess the situation and take the best course of action to prevent the situation worsening.’
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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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