Weston-Super-Mare RNLI Lifeboats rescue broken down fishing boat drifting onto the rocks in a near g

On Monday both Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboats took part

in saving a broken down local commercial fishing boat in danger of being driven

onto the rocks.

Swansea Coastguard received a faint Mayday signal on the VHF

radio at 11:20 on Monday. It transpired that a vessel had lost all power and

was drifting towards Pig Beach near the mouth of the River Axe in Weston Bay. The

wind was gusting to Force 7 which is a Near Gale, and the Spring Tide was very

strong.

The volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews where paged. Despite

access to their station on Birnbeck Island being difficult due to the clear up

after the demolition of the burnt out Royal Pier Hotel they managed to launch

both lifeboats within nine minutes of the call.

On arrival at the River Axe, the D Class RNLI lifeboat Anna Stock found the disabled vessel

being held off the rocks by a local boatman who was an off duty member of the

lifeboat crew. The vessel was a 22 foot local commercial fishing boat with an

inboard diesel engine. She had apparently had a fuel blockage. They took the

line from the boatman and held the vessel in safe water until the Atlantic 75

lifeboat Coventry and Warwickshire

arrived.

This larger lifeboat took the casualty in tow and brought

her up the river to its moorings. The Anna

Stock then took off the crew of the casualty and took them ashore to be

handed over to the local coastguard.

 

RNLI Helmsman Liam McDermott said, “The wind and tides made

handling the boats quite difficult but we were able to save both the casualty

vessel and her crew. The two fishermen were well prepared with lifejackets,

flares and a VHF radio. This incident just goes to show how easy it is for even

the most experienced locals to get into a difficult situation quickly."

.”