A person was rescued from a stranded pleasure boat off the coast of Port Talbot over the weekend. The RNLI was called on Sunday evening to reports of a boat having had an engine failure at around 10pm.
Rescue operation
The vessel was unable to move as the tide continued to rise before a crew from Port Talbot RNLI was dispatched to rescue the stranded sailor from the eight-metre boat. When the rescue team arrived they found one person on board in shallow water and at risk of running aground.
A crew member was placed aboard the vessel to carry out checks and establish whether the boat had suffered any damage or water ingress, but no water was found. The RNLI reported that the situation remained challenging as the pleasure craft was lying in the centre of a shipping lane and unable to move, while the rising tide continued to increase the risk to the vessel.
Towed to safety
RNLI volunteers said the decision was made to establish a tow. The pleasure craft was towed to Swansea Marina where it was placed onto a holding buoy, and the person on board was safely landed on the jetty. The Port Talbot lifeboat was subsequently stood down and returned to station.
Helm Carl Mathews praised the skipper for taking the correct action when faced with the engine failure. Mr Mathews said: "The skipper of the vessel did everything correctly."
He had the relevant safety equipment and means of communication on board. Knowing that he was unable to resolve the problem himself, he contacted the Coastguard and requested assistance.
Safety advice
Launch authority Chris Thomas added: "Our crew train for eventualities like this. They worked together as a team, resulting in a successful rescue of both the person and the vessel."
The RNLI urges people to make sure that their vessel is suitable for the conditions, that the engine and equipment have been checked, and appropriate safety equipment and a reliable means of communication are on board. If you are in an emergency at sea or on the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
