At 3am on Friday, Calshot RNLI was called to search for a dismasted yacht reported lost in the Solent near Lepe, Hampshire. The vessel, which had lost communication ability but continued broadcasting on VHF Channel 16, posed a navigation hazard in the central western Solent.
Yacht Found At Dawn
The RNLI crew located the yacht promptly at 03:45 west of Lepe on the Island side by tracing its radio transmission. With no functioning communications aboard, the yacht was drifting and unsafe.
Emergency Tow To Safety
A crew member was put aboard the stranded vessel to secure it. The yacht was then safely towed to Beaulieu, preventing any danger to other vessels in the busy waterway.
Quick Turnaround For Crew
After securing the yacht, the RNLI volunteers returned to their station by 5:30am, where they washed down and refuelled their lifeboat, ready for any further emergency calls.
