Cruiser with navigation issues found thanks to flares

29/08/2023

A cruiser whose navigation equipment failed was found thanks to flares and rescued by the RNLI in Devon.

The call-out one night in August off Lundy was the third one that evening for Appledore RNLI.

The coastguard asked it to launch the all-weather boat to rescue the occupant of a 31-foot motor cruiser after the electronic navigation equipment and navigation lights failed. With a large rocky island nearby, but invisible in the dark, he was unsure how to proceed safely.

It was reported the boat was on the South West side of the island, but on arrival, the Appledore RNLI crew could find no trace of the boat.

Request for flares

After searching the south and east sides of the island, the lifeboat requested flares be set off by the casualty. The first was seen indicating direction and the second allowed the crew to take a bearing. The vessel was located about eight miles North East of Lundy and was escorted to Appledore lifeboat station.

Earlier that day, Appledore RNLI searched for two people reported cut off by the tide and searched for a dive boat missing in fog.

Following a detailed debrief, and making ready the boarding boat for the next launch, the crew returned home after a long night.

Martin Cox, Appledore RNLI coxswain says, “If you are going to sea, please wear lifejackets. In addition to tracking your voyages and alerting emergency contacts if you fail to return home on time; the free RYA SafeTrx phone app allows you to activate an emergency call to 999, even without an input active trip. When in UK waters, the app will automatically determine your location and direct the call to the UK emergency services. A VHF/DSC radio has a distress button, the alert of which is a recognised emergency signal containing your exact location, which will be picked up by the UK Coastguard and nearby vessels.”

The RNLI image features Appledore crew member Alex Hall.

Source and image: RNLI