Major Rescue in Irish Sea as RNLI lifeboats respond to fishing vessel Mayday

The 24 metre Irish trawler had five crew onboard and was some 21 nautical miles North West of Strumble Head when HM Coastguard tasked our charity's Welsh lifeboats just before midday.

The all-weather lifeboats and volunteer crew made best speed to the scene, with Coastguard search and rescue helicopter R936 from Caernarfon also tasked to assist. The helicopter arrived on scene first and lowered a water pump to the vessel. With no casualties reported, New Quay lifeboat was stood down en-route.

St Davids Tamar class lifeboat Norah Wortley arrived at 1.10pm with sea conditions rough in a force five to seven Easterly wind. Fishguard RNLI’s Trent class lifeboat Blue Peter VII arrived at 1.35pm. With no engine damage and the Coastguard pump sufficiently reducing the water level, it was decided the fishing vessel would be escorted the 35 nautical miles West to Ireland.

Kilmore Quay Tamar class lifeboat Victor Freeman was tasked by the Irish Coast Guard to complete the escort back to Ireland, launching at 2.10pm. At this point, Fishguard lifeboat was stood down and returned to Wales.

St Davids lifeboat escorted the trawler a further 20 nautical miles West South West towards Tuskar rock until Kilmore Quay lifeboat arrived at 3:20pm and took over the escort. St Davids lifeboat arrived back at their station at 6.00pm, and Kilmore Quay arrived back to their base shortly after at 6.10pm.

Will Chant, RNLI Coxswain for St Davids RNLI lifeboat, says: ‘This rescue was a good, fast response from all crews, which with an incident of this nature was exactly what was required. Fortunately the salvage pump from the helicopter was all that was required in order to quell the problems on board the trawler, and after that it was a straightforward but long job of escorting the vessel to safety. Our crew even received ‘welcome to Ireland’ messages on their mobile phones, such was the distance from home.’

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Simone Eade, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 804 922 or [email protected] or Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on 07977 728 315 or C_Fitzpatrick-Smit2 @rnli.org.uk or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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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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