VOLUNTEERS from the RNLI’s station in Barrow launched their all weather lifeboat in a bid to rescue a yacht which had broken free from its moorings.  

The request to launch the Barrow Lifeboat came from the Coastguard at 1.04pm yesterday after an 18 foot dis-masted yacht, with no-one on board, was seen to have broken free from its moorings at Fleetwood. 

The vessel was drifting out to sea on the ebb tide and was considered to be a danger to other shipping.

At 1.17pm Barrow’s all weather lifeboat, “Grace Dixon”, was launched under the command of Coxswain, Shaun Charnley with crew members Jonny Long, Ben Jackson, Alan Cleasby, Adam Cleasby, John Walker and Steve Wilcock on board.

Conditions at the time were quite difficult with a westerly wind, Force 6 at 27 knots. The high tide had been at 11.48 am, with a height of 9.7 metres.

At 1.55 pm, having travelled the 10 miles across to Fleetwood, the stricken yacht was observed adrift near Kings Scar off Rossall Point, Fleetwood. However, as the tide was ebbing, the yacht was already seen to be aground preventing the lifeboat from coming alongside to take it under tow. 

The situation was assessed and the yacht was considered to be in a location where it was no longer posing a hazard to other vessels. 

The lifeboat was stood down and made its way back to Barrow. The Grace Dixon arrived back at Barrow at around 4pm where it was then re-housed at the lifeboat station and made ready for the next launch.