Both Barrow lifeboats were called out to help rescue a yachtsman who had to abandon his sinking vessel.
Barrow RNLI was called at around 2.55pm yesterday, Thursday June 13, to the yacht, which was drifting across the Walney Channel.
The lone yachtsman, who was sailing from Wales to Scotland, were forced to put out a mayday distress call after they had made a stop at Piel Island.
In strengthening winds, the yacht was drifting across Walney Channel towards Foulney Island.
In so doing, the yacht had sustained some damage and had started to take on water.
After making the call for help, fearing that his vessel was going to sink, he decided to board his life raft.
The RNLI’s volunteer crew of the inshore lifeboat, Raymond and Dorothy Billingham, was launched at 3.05pm with Jonny Long at the helm, and crew Andy Baxter and Adam Cleasby.
The lifeboat was on the scene in just a couple of minutes and the crew transferred the yachtsman to the safety of the ILB and returned him to the lifeboat station.
The lifeboat then went back to the yacht with a fire pump and two crew transferred to the yacht to try and pump out the vessel.
With the eight-metre yacht in danger of sinking in the Channel where it could pose a risk to the safety of other vessels, the Coastguard then requested that the all-weather lifeboat, Grace Dixon, be launched to tow the yacht to a safe location.
The Grace Dixon was launched at 4pm under the command of coxswain Shaun Charnley and a crew of six.
The coxswain and helm assessed the situation, and it was decided that the inshore lifeboat would take the casualty under tow to a sheltered area between Roa and Foulney Islands and secure it to a drying out mooring.
This would enable the yacht to be examined for damage at low water and keep Walney Channel clear and safe for other vessel traffic.
Once the yacht was secure on the mooring, the lifeboats returned to the boathouse where they were met by the waiting shore crew and made ready for the next launch. The incident was closed at 6.30pm.
