Hartlepool lifeboat rescues trawler just minutes from sinking

RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew members were dispatched to help the 13-metre fishing boat after it ran into difficulties eight miles off the Hartlepool coast.

The Arbroath-registered trawler, with three people on board, had contacted Humber Coastguard to request assistance when it began taking on water resulting in mechanical failure.

The RNLI team were paged at 3.15pm on Tuesday, November 18, and by 3.30pm both inshore and all weather lifeboats had launched and been able to come alongside the casualty vessel at 3.50pm.

With sea conditions deteriorating, a salvage pump and two crewmembers were transferred to the casualty vessel to begin pumping water from the flooded hull.

The fishing boat was then taken under tow to Hartlepool Fish Quay where it arrived at 5.45pm and the salvage operation continued until a second pump was placed aboard allowing the RNLI crew and lifeboats to return to the Ferry Road lifeboat station at 6.30pm where both boats were refuelled and made ready for service by 7.00pm.

Hartlepool RNLI coxswain Robbie Maiden said there was no doubt the incident could have been significantly more serious: “Without our assistance I think the vessel would have been in serious trouble,” he said.

"Some great team work from the volunteer crew members in difficult conditions certainly helped save the fishing boat.”

Jake Oates who was one of the two crew members who went aboard the stranded boat and described the conditions aboard: “The galley area of the fishing boat was flooded and debris floating around inside it made pumping the water out extremely difficult,” he said.

"But along with crew member Mark Crangle we managed to reduce the water level enough to allow the fishing boat crew to carry out repairs at the Fish Quay.”

Hartlepool RNLI Lifeboats Operations Manager Chris Hornsey paid tribute to the team who had carried oit the successful rescue operation: “Once again an amazing response from the volunteer lifeboat crew with support by the shore crew and station officials brought the incident to a safe conclusion,” he said.

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