Swanage lifeboat rescues sinking yacht
Both Swanage lifeboats were tasked after the yacht started taking on water off the Dorset coast. Two people were on board at the time.
The crews of the Swanage lifeboats launched at 7.22am on 5 July.
An 8-metre yacht was sinking just to the north of Old Harry Rocks off the Isle of Purbeck, and had contacted the Solent Coastguard.
Two people were on board.
The vessel was taking on water through an outlet pipe that was below the waterline when healed over in the wind.
The yacht’s pump was unable to cope with the amount of water being taken onto the vessel.
“Both lifeboats launched and headed to the scene at full speed. The inshore lifeboat was the first to arrive, they put a crew member aboard to assess the situation and reassure the yacht’s crew,” explained a spokesman for Swanage RNLI.
Two more crew members from the all weather lifeboat were then put on board the sinking vessel, along with the lifeboat’s powerful salvage pump.
“The pump was rigged and it soon began to reduce the water level inside the boat,” stated the Swanage RNLI spokesman.
The yacht was then taken in tow, and its crew transferred to the lifeboat.
On approach to Salterns Marina at Poole Harbour, the lifeboat handed the tow over to staff at Salterns Boatyard.
The yacht was then lifted out to be checked over.
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