Dart RNLI rescues crew on first trip on new boat

The Atlantic B Class, helmed by Lee Darch and with Laura Edwards – on her last shout for Dart – and Tom Shanley as crew, headed out in a slight swell and located a 28-foot vessel with engine failure.
The crew discovered the two men on board had only purchased the boat that day, and were on their first voyage from Brixham to Dartmouth when the engine cut out and they couldn’t restart, and the boat became a navigational hazard.
The Dart volunteers managed to fix a line, and the yacht was towed in to Dartmouth and handed over to the Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority.
Helm Lee said: ‘Luckily on this occasion the mobile phone worked when they needed help. If they had been further out, that might have been different.
‘If you haven’t got the experience, it is always advisable to get a vessel properly surveyed to make sure it is in suitable condition, and you have all means of help at hand.’

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact Dominic Hart, Dart RNLI press officer, on 07767 764 144 or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or at [email protected].

RNLI online

For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.

Key facts about the RNLI

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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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.

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.