At 5.50pm yesterday, Thursday 17th August 2023, the crew of Exmouth RNLI inshore lifeboat D-805 George Bearman II were on a training exercise off Exmouth when H.M. Coastguard requested they attend a report of two persons apparently in difficulty on a tender attached to the rear of a yacht on the River Exe.
The lifeboat crew commenced a search of the area during which time H.M. Coastguard received a Pan Pan call from the yacht confirming the emergency.
The lifeboat, commanded by Helm, Andrew Stott and crew, Harry Griffin and Jake Butt immediately located the casualties at 5.55pm, where it was established that the tender had broken down. A decision was made to tow the tender and its occupants to the safety of the Starcross Fishing and Cruising Club. Neither casualty was injured or required medical attention.
Then at 6.15pm the same crew attended a report of a cylinder shaped object drifting up the River Exe off buoy 12. The lifesavers arrived on scene at 6.22pm and assessed the situation. The object was identified as a mussel farm float, was an obvious danger to navigation and water users and so the lifeboat crew towed it to the safety of Exmouth Marina.
The volunteers having satisfied themselves that the hazard was safely removed, H.M. Coastguard stood the lifeboat down at 6.30pm.
Other Exmouth RNLI volunteers involved in the assignment were Tractor Driver, Rory Carrig, Head Launcher Scott Ranft and Shore Crew Ed Steele and Jake Richards.
RNLI advice on yacht safety and motorboating can be found here : https://rnli.org/safety/choose-your-activity/yacht-sailing-and-motorboating
