Stricken Vessel Found in Irish Sea

A vessel that first reported suffering steering problems off the south west of Scotland early this afternoon has now been found and towed to safety.

Liverpool Coastguard received a 999 call from one of the two people on board the vessel just after 1 p.m. this afternoon, reporting they were having mechanical problems. They said they were just south of Burrow Head, having set off from Oban and heading to Liverpool.

The Ramsey RNLI all-weather lifeboat was sent to the scene, but they could not track down the vessel. Liverpool Coastguard managed to get hold of those on board again and soon established they were in a different position near the Cumbrian coast. The Workington RNLI all-weather lifeboat joined the search, but again on arrival at this new position there was no sign of the vessel.

Further contact was made with the two on board the boat, who were told to set off their distress flares. These weren’t spotted by those on scene. In light of the approaching darkness and misty conditions, the Whitehaven and Maryport Coastguard Rescue Teams were sent to carry out harbor and coastal searches. The search and rescue helicopter from RAF Valley was also sent to join in the search and a mayday relay broadcast was made asking for any other boats to report sightings.

The helicopter from RAF Valley finally located the vessel just before 6pm this evening off Harrington, Cumbria. The boat was then towed into Workington harbor and met by the Maryport Coastguard Rescue Team.

Lucy Hicks, Watch Manager at Liverpool Coastguard, said, "This was a difficult rescue as we did not have the exact location of this vessel. They didn’t have a VHF radio on board or an emergency beacon which could have sent a more accurate position of where they were. An extensive search continued for a number of hours, and with darkness fast approaching along with deteriorating weather conditions, we needed to find this boat. Luckily, they were spotted by the search and rescue helicopter and then taken to safety. We always recommend that boats are well equipped with all the necessary communications and navigation equipment on board. It's also useful to have an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) with you, which can send an accurate position of where you are to the coastguard."

mcga.gov.uk