Beaumaris Lifeboat tasked to a vessel without power near Puffin Island.

After ensuring that the four crew of a sunken vessel had been transferred into the care of shore crew at Beaumaris Pier. The Beaumaris Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Annette Mary Liddington with her volunteer crew, retraced her path in calm weather conditions to go to the assistance of a fishing vessel with engine difficulties by Puffin Island.

It transpired the vessel engine would not restart after the boat had responded to the Coastguard request for craft to come to the assistance of the crew of the sunken vessel. An assessment was made by the helm in consultation with the Coastguard as to the best course of action to be taken.

It was decided that with the position of the vessel and tide conditions in the locality, for safety reasons the boat would be towed to the nearest place of safety which was the pontoon by the pier at Beaumaris. Once this had been achieved the lifeboat was instructed by the Coastguard to return to her station, arriving at 4.10 pm to be refuelled and cleaned and made ready for her next service call. Moelfre all-weather lifeboat having already been tasked to recover the remains of the sunken craft from the navigable channel.

A RNLI spokesman said: ‘‘Thankfully the crew of the fishing vessel were well prepared and were able to use their radio to contact the Coastguard and call for help when they got into difficulty. Our volunteer lifeboat crew acted quickly and efficiently and were able to come to their aid before the situation could have potentially worsened.

‘Even on the shortest trips you can get caught out, so it pays to be prepared, including carrying the right boat safety kit. Whether you're fishing, powering or sailing out to sea, make sure you are wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid and always carry a means of calling for help. Have an appropriate anchor that holds, make sure you can identify your location and are using a kill cord where appropriate for your craft.

If you do get into difficulty or spot anyone else in trouble, use your radio or call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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