Double rescue for training boat
The crew of a sail training boat were left with more
than their boat insurance premiums to worry about on Tuesday, as
storm force winds forced them to be rescued by two separate
lifeboat teams.
The volunteer lifeboat crew in Dungeness was scrambled in
response to a mayday call in the early hours of January 3 from
training boat 'Liquid Vortex', which had suffered severe damage in
the extreme conditions including broken steering and failing
engines.
However, upon reaching the struggling training vessel the crew
of the Dungeness station's Mersey class lifeboat were concerned
about the risks involved with towing the stricken sailing boat into
Dover without assistance, and called in the Dover crew to help with
the rescue.
Allen Head, Training Divisional Inspector for the lifeboat
service in the East of England, said: "The volunteer crews showed
no fear in launching in what were horrendous conditions. Those
aboard the sailing boat had a baptism of fire, but our crews did
everything they could to bring them ashore safely."
Dan Morgan
