Two RNLI crews respond to yacht taking on water

Lifeboats from either side of the Bristol Channel were involved in the rescue.

Crews from two RNLI volunteer lifesaving stations responded to save a yacht that had run aground and was taking on water Sunday.

Two lifeboats from Penarth RNLI station launched after receiving the vessel’s call for help around 4:15pm.

The lifeboats quickly located the 32ft vessel two miles east of Cardiff, and after checking the crew were well and the yacht was undamaged, helped to refloat it.

Penarth RNLI’s D-Class lifeboat then returned to station whilst the refloated vessel was escorted across the Bristol Channel by the station’s Atlantic-class lifeboat towards its original destination of Portishead in Somerset.

The yacht was then placed under the care of Portishead RNLI lifeboat approximately a mile west of Clevedon and escorted to port while the Welsh lifeboat crew returned to their station.

Jason Dunlop, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Penarth RNLI, said: “This was a great example of our lifeboats working together efficiently and effectively across both sides of the Bristol Channel.”

Crews returned after three hours on service to prepare the lifeboats and equipment for the next emergency call.

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