10 July 2011 Selsey 29 2011
Broken down angling boat Lesley Ann given assistance
Selsey RNLI all weather lifeboat (ALB) Voluntary Worker launched at 7.30am to go to the assistance of a 10 metre angling boat the Lesley Ann broken down with two men on board approximately 3.5 miles southeast of Bognor Regis.
The lifeboat arrived on scene at 7.47am to find that the two anglers had been fishing all night and when they came to start their engine to return home the Lesley Ann’s batteries were flat. Without power they were also unable to recover the boat’s anchor, which became the first task for the volunteer lifeboat crew using Voluntary Worker’s capstan. A towline was then secured between the ALB and Lesley Ann and a course set for the casualty’s home port of Littlehampton.
As Littlehampton lifeboat was due to launch on exercise and having heard the radio conversation between Selsey lifeboat crew and the anglers they offered to tow the Lesley Ann from the harbour entrance up river to the Littlehampton Marina.
At 8.35am just outside Littlehampton Harbour the tow was passed from Voluntary Worker to Littlehampton lifeboat. Selsey lifeboat was then released to return to station at 8.39am arriving back by 9.19am.
· Photos and videos of Selsey RNLI lifeboat and crew can be viewed at the RNLI Press Centre at www.rnli.org.uk/press
