At 8.10pm yesterday evening (Tues 24/07/18) – Porthcawl and Barry Dock RNLI lifeboats launched to a 53ft yacht which had made a MAYDAY call as it was taking on water south of Nash Point.

Porthcawl’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Rose of the Shires, was launched and located the casualty yacht about 5 miles south west of Nash Point. Two volunteer crew members were put aboard with a salvage pump. They assessed the situation on board and managed to stem the ingress of water with the pump.

Upon the arrival of the larger Barry Dock lifeboat the Atlantic 85 transferred two crew members from Barry Dock lifeboat onto the casualty vessel before recovering their own two crew members. Porthcawl lifeboat then returned to station whilst the Barry Dock Lifeboat took the yacht under tow and back to Barry Dock for the skipper to carry out repairs.

Lifeboat Operations Manager at Porthcawl, Philip Missen, said, ‘The casualty yacht crew did the right thing by putting out the MAYDAY call as soon as they were aware of taking in water. This allowed us and Barry Dock lifeboat to located and manage the situation and avoid a possible sinking of the casualty vessel’.

For further information contact: Ian Stroud, Lifeboat Press Officer