Brixham coastguard tasked Exmouth RNLI inshore lifeboat, George Bearman on 22 October. A call from a fishing vessel reported a sunken boat between the channel buoys, just off Maer rocks.
Volunteer Deputy Launching Authority, Dave Ashman launched the three-man crew at 9.01am for further investigation. The RNLI volunteers returned 24 minutes later after checking for any signs of casualties on board. Coxswain Tim Mock commented:
‘At first sight, the clusters of mooring buoys and fenders would indicate that the boat had sunk in the channel to the entrance of the River Exe. The coastguard made shore-side enquiries that the vessel had actually sunk within the river and had somehow drifted out to sea.’
Volunteer Helmsman, Roger Jackson takes up the story:
‘When the inshore crew reached the vessel, we found it was an old day fishing boat. It seems that someone had tied empty five-litre barrels to it in an attempt to save it. However, it had drifted off into the channel from its swing mooring in the river and we found it broken up in pieces.’
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