Angle RNLI spend 9 hours at sea assisting yacht skipper with severe chest pain

With only a handheld VHF radio working onboard, a local charter fishing vessel that was in the area managed to hear the vessels call and relay communications to HM Coastguard.

The lifeboat launched shortly after midday and began making best speed to the casualty vessel, whilst Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R924 from Newquay was also tasked to assist.

The helicopter arrived on scene first and began assessing the vessel for winching. With the lifeboat still 10 miles away at this point, the helicopter soon informed the crew that due to the 2m sea state making the vessel roll unpredictably - and the yacht's rigging set-up made winching unsafe, therefore the crew were requested to attempt to transfer the casualty onboard the lifeboat.

With the lifeboat now on scene the yacht's crew were requested to lower their sails and place their vessel head to sea to assist with the transfer. The lifeboat came alongside the casualty vessel and transferred the casualty onboard.

With the crew now making the casualty as comfortable as possible, the lifeboat began heading south to conduct winching with the Coastgurad heliopter R924. By 1.45pm the casualty was safely onboard the helicopter and making his was back to Newquay. The lifeboat returned to the casualty vessel and now with the two remaining crew members onboard experiencing engine trouble and with a lack of communications, the safest course of action was to take the yacht under tow. The crew soon had the vessel under tow and a course was set for Milford Haven.

After a successful tow of nearly six hours, the lifeboat and casualty vessel arrived off Hobbs Point by 7.30pm. The yacht was placed into an alongside tow and left safely alongside the pontoon.

With no further assistance required the crew proceeded to Milford Marina to refuel before returning to station, where the lifeboat was readied for further service by 9.30pm.

RNLI Media Contacts
For more information, please contact Davey Barrett, Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected] or 07972 937299.

Alternatively you can contact RNLI Regional Communications Manager, Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, on [email protected] / 07977 728 315. For out of hours enquiries please contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336 789.