Our volunteer crew were paged by UK Coastguard to join RNLI Port Talbot’s D Class lifeboat in a search for a fishing boat which had encountered engine difficulties and been swept onto the shore. Both Porthcawl’s Atlantic 85 and D Class lifeboats were launched on service to join the search in the dark.

It was not possible to establish VHF radio communications with the casualty vessel and the two people onboard were disorientated and unsure of their location believing they were somewhere between Port Talbot and Ogmore.

As our Atlantic 85 lifeboat was arriving at Rest Bay to meet Port Talbot lifeboat and commence a search, the Port Talbot crew spotted a light on the shore near Box Bay in the cove area of Rest Bay. The Port Talbot crew went ashore confirming it was the casualty vessel and located two people and a dog with the vessel who were suffering from the effects of the cold. Porthcawl’s D Class arrived on scene and assisted with casualty care until the casualties were taken into the care of Porthcawl Coastguard and Port Talbot Coastguard Teams.

Porthcawl’s D Class then set up a tow on the casualty vessel towing it out from the beach where it would have been smashed up on rocks and the tow was transferred to our larger Atlantic 85.

The Atlantic 85 crew had to wait an hour until the vessel could be towed into Porthcawl Marina (due to the state of the tide) before returning to station around 8am.