Solo Sailor Rescued After Yacht Drifts Near Danger Zone Off Sussex Coast
A solo sailor was saved in a nail-biting rescue after his yacht was spotted drifting dangerously close to an offshore wind farm off Sussex. The skipper’s mayday call sparked a dramatic nighttime lifeboat mission.
RNLI Lifeboat Rushes to Missing Yacht
Volunteers from the RNLI Shoreham station launched their all-weather lifeboat late on Saturday following reports of a missing vessel. The 10-metre yacht had left Southampton, heading north to Hartlepool, when it vanished from radar.
Rescue teams found the yacht about 10 miles off Shoreham-by-Sea, perilously drifting near the Rampion Wind Farm’s towering turbines. A coastguard helicopter spotted cabin lights glowing but no sign of the skipper on deck.
Exhausted Skipper Discovered Fast Asleep Onboard
Two RNLI volunteers boarded the yacht to find the skipper asleep and suffering extreme exhaustion.
“The casualty was suffering from exhaustion and had alerted the coastguard but then fell asleep,” said RNLI lifeboat coxswain Simon Williams.
A quick medical check confirmed no serious health issues. The helicopter stood down as the crew restarted the yacht’s engine and guided it safely back to Shoreham harbour, arriving at 3am Sunday.
RNLI Warns Sailors: Call 999 Without Hesitation
Simon Williams urged all sailors to act fast in emergencies.
“The vessel was drifting very close to the turbines in the wind farm. We managed to take control of the yacht and bring it to safety.”
The RNLI reminds anyone in distress at sea to dial 999 and ask for the coastguard immediately to avoid danger.
