A Burnham-On-Sea lifeboat was launched on Saturday afternoon (July 18th) to help two sailors in difficulty after their yacht ran aground in the River Brue.
The Staines Whitfield lifeboat was launched at 4pm to assist the crew onboard the 32ft yacht which had run aground on the muddy banks of the river estuary, near to Highbridge’s sewer works.
The lifeboat crew took the two sailors back to the safety of Burnham Sailing Club pontoons and also towed their sailing dinghy to safety, as pictured here.
According to a Burnham-On-Sea RNLI spokesman, the yacht was leaving a mooring in the Brue, adjacent to Apex Park, when a gust of wind had pushed it off course, leaving it firmly aground, and placing the boat and crew in potential jeopardy.
“Despite assistance from a helpful Zapcat owner, and another yacht, who ended up being tangled in mooring lines, they were unable to free their craft,” added the spokesman.
The crew of the Staines Whitfield, after returning the disabled ‘Good Samaritan’ to its own mooring, ensured that the yacht was temporarily secure and took the owner and his crew member back to the safety of the Sailing Club pontoons.
The spokesman added: “This was a potentially hazardous situation, dealt with effectively by our volunteers. The owner is going to try refloating the craft on Sunday afternoon.”
RELATED LINKS:
Lifeboats website for Burnham-On-Sea
