Newcastle RNLI Rescues 8 French Sailors With Engine Failure.
At 8.48pm on Friday 19 July 2019, the volunteer crew of Newcastle lifeboat were tasked to a 38-foot French sailing vessel on passage to the Scilly Isles with eight people on board 14 nautical miles east of Newcastle with engine difficulty.
The lifeboat launched under the command of Coxswain Nathan Leneghan and made best speed reaching the vessel at 22.00. The weather on the scene was a southerly Force 3 with a 1- 2 metre swell and moderate to poor visibility due to fog and rain.
A crew member was put on board the stricken vessel and checked the yacht’s crew for any injury or illness, and found them all well prepared with foul weather clothing and lifejackets on and requiring no casualty care.
At the request of the sailing vessel skipper a tow was established and was towed into Ardglass harbour to be met by members of Newcastle Coastguard team who assisted with mooring the boat and gave further safety advise and gave them info regarding Ardglass harbours facilities.
Speaking afterwards Coxswain Nathan Leneghan commended the actions of the yacht crew saying: “The crew had on the correct lifesaving equipment on board and did the right thing in calling for assistance at the earliest instance as the situation could have deteriorated with weather conditions worsening.”
