Barrow RNLI’s volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat after a fisherman got stranded.
The RNLI was called at around 5.50pm yesterday, Friday September 6, as a lone fisherman aboard a 16ft boat was unable to restart his engine and was stranded on the western edge of Walney Channel in the vicinity of Pickle Scar.
The crew was paged and the inshore lifeboat, Raymond and Dorothy Billingham, was launched at 6.10pm with Andy Baxter at the helm along with crew, Mike Harris and Nic Johnson.
The lifeboat was at the scene within a few minutes and having carefully assessed the situation it was decided that the most appropriate course of action was to tow the vessel the short distance north along Walney Channel to the slipway at Ferry Pitchings.
With the casualty vessel towed to safety, the lifeboat was able to return to the Boathouse at Roa Island where it arrived at 7.10pm. The lifeboat was washed down and made ready for the next launch with help from the waiting shore crew.
