Brave Lytham St Annes lifeboat volunteers' 10-hour rescue at sea in winds up to gale force
Lone yachtsman nearly been thrown overboard several times by the severe motion of the vessel in very dangerous weather conditions
A Fylde lifeboat crew spent 10 hours at sea and battled tough weather conditions to rescue a stranded lone yachtsman.
The crew from Lytham St Annes RNLI successfully brought in a disabled yacht from the Morecambe Bay Gas Field in the Irish Sea in winds gusting to gale force.
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The shout began shortly before 11.30pm and involved a craft heading from Douglas, Isle of Man, for Whitehaven in Cumbria in poor and deteriorating conditions.
The solo yachtsman broadcast a Mayday distress call when engine and equipment failure left his vessel drifting out of control near the Gas Field.
The All-weather Lifeboat Barbara Anne was launched from St Annes to head out around 22 miles to the casualty drifting southwards near the Morecambe Bay Offshore Gas Rigs exclusion zone.
A spokesman for Lytham St Annes RNLI said: “The weather at the time of launch was a North West wind force 5, up to 24mph, but that rapidly increased to force 7, gusting gale force 8, up to 46mph.
“That meant very poor and dangerous conditions for the lone yachtsman who had nearly been thrown overboard several times by the severe motion of the vessel.
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“The yacht was initially found by a rig vessel on safety standby duty but the weather and sea by then was becoming very dangerous with five-metre swells as the Barbara Anne pulled as near as possible.
“By now the yacht was only 18 metres from the rigs and there was no alternative in the short time left but to pass a tow line to the yacht to haul her clear of danger.”
Once clear, the course was set for the long tow to Fleetwood Marina and safety, which took more than five hours, until around 10am, as speed had to match the sea conditions in the poor weather.
The yachtsman was checked out but unharmed.
Coxswain Vinnie Pedley said after the rescue: “If the tow had not been connected quickly, consideration had to be given to the very dangerous procedure in those conditions of taking the man off and abandoning the yacht as a navigation hazard.
“But the little time available almost certainly prevented this option from working except as a very last resort.”
Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Operations Manager Paul Little added: “Everyone is very proud of the crew.”