Burnham RNLI Home Page > Burnham RNLI Launch Archive

May 23, 2005
Burnham lifeboat rescues 21 foot speedboat and crew of three

Crew members onboard Burnham-On-Sea's Atlantic 75 lifeboat rescued a 21 foot speedboat and its crew of three on Monday evening, May 23.

The Staines Whitfield lifeboat (pictured) was training south of Brean Down on a joint exercise with Burnham Coastguard on Monday when the incident unfolded.

At approximately 20:10, Weston Coastguard called Swansea Coastguard control after a speedboat was spotted displaying a red distress flare in Weston Bay.

Weston lifeboat was also called, but because the Staines Whitfield lifeboat was less than five minutes away, the Coastguard directed it to assist.

The Burnham crew found the distressed craft - a 21ft speedboat with a disabled engine - drifting in strong on-shore winds approximately 400 yards off the Sea Life centre at Weston-Super-Mare.

They took the vessel in tow and delivered the casualty to the safety of Knightstone Harbour.

Burnham RNLI Helmsman Glen Cutter said: "The speedboat was drifting helplessly in strong on-shore winds. We were close enough to render assistance quickly and the Coastguard asked us to help."

The crew resumed training before returning to Burnham-On-Sea at around 2130 hrs.

RELATED LINKS:

Burnham-On-Sea RNLI Home Page