Emergency Services

From Exercise to Real Rescue

The volunteer crew had been on a joint exercise with Ramsey lifeboat station.
Pic: James Smith

Published

3 years ago

21/08/2023

Sam Turton

Peel RNLI’s training exercise turned into a real rescue this weekend as the crew were radioed by a stricken vessel.

The volunteer crew had been on a joint exercise with Ramsey lifeboat station.

At 3.30pm Sunday, just as the lifeboat was being winched up the station’s slipway, the volunteer crew received a radio message from a nearby motor cruiser disabled by engine and steering problems.

Peel’s Launch Authority Stuart Blackley notified HM Coastguard of the call for help and subsequently Peel’s crew was paged to respond.

The stricken vessel was quickly located a half-mile off Peel Breakwater and the situation assessed. In rough seas and Force 4 to 6 winds, the decision was made to tow the vessel – without rudder or power- to the safety of Peel Marina.

Mr Blackley summed up the work of the crew:‘The training that shore and boat crew continuously undertake enabled the lifeboat to reach the disabled motor cruiser quickly. The shore crew made use of the Shannon Launch and Recovery System’s unique turntable to efficiently rotate the lifeboat 180 degrees so it could be launched again in very short order.

‘We would not be able to train on or use such state of the art equipment without the generosity of our supporters who value the work of the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea.’