[T]he volunteer crew from the RNLI’s Barrow station launched their all-weather lifeboat this afternoon, Saturday 14th July 2018, to go to the aid of a small boat which had broken down south of Walney Island.
The call for assistance came from HM Coastguard at Holyhead at 3:45pm.
The information received was that a small pleasure boat, with three people on board, had broken down at a position approximately one and a quarter miles south of Walney Island.
The crew was paged and the all-weather lifeboat, ‘Grace Dixon’, was launched at 4-01pm under the command of Coxswain, Jonny Long, assisted by five crew members.
The lifeboat headed towards the scene and was alongside the pleasure boat at 4:18pm. The casualty vessel was taken under tow by the lifeboat and returned safely to a mooring just off Roa Island. The three people on board the casualty vessel were not injured.
With the casualty vessel and its crew safe, the ‘Grace Dixon’ returned to the lifeboat station at 5:20pm where it was made ready for the next launch.
The wind at the time of the incident was easterly, Force 2, and the high tide had been at 1:09pm with a height of 9.6 metres.
The Annual RNLI Gala will take place tomorrow afternoon (Sunday 15th July 2018) at Roa Island commencing at 1pm. The public are invited to come and see the Barrow lifeboats in action, take a look around the Lifeboat Station and see a variety of stalls and attractions on The Green, Marine Terrace, Roa Island. Entry costs 50 pence, (free entry for children under 12) and a free park and ride service is available from the paddock opposite The Clarkes Hotel, Rampside.