Seven hours in rough seas for Exmouth RNLI crew

They help in Bridport rescue

Exmouth's all-weather lifeboat spent hours at sea on Saturday night, helping RNLI colleagues from Weymouth in a rescue which started off the Dorset coast.

In conditions the service describes as "challenging" they headed east to assist people on board a 50ft motor vessel boat which had experienced total engine failure near Bridport. 

The distressed vessel got into difficulties around 2.30pm, following which Weymouth's RNLI coxswain decided that safety dictated the best course of action would be tow it to its home port of Exmouth.

They had been heading towards Devon for some hours when they contacted the Exmouth service and asked for help.

Both lifeboats rendezvoused eight miles south of Sidmouth, where the Exmouth team took over the tow.

Unfortunately, at this stage the conditions approaching Exmouth were so challenging that it would not have been possible to safely enter the River Exe channel, so the decision was made to proceed to the next safest port of Brixham.

The lifeboat made the slow passage to Brixham where the casualty vessel was safely moored up.

Liam Pessel, Exmouth RNLI Deputy Launch Authority, said: "Our crews then returned to Exmouth, finally arriving home and heading to their beds at 1am.

"'It was great teamwork from all the crew, including our shore crew, and a positive result in challenging conditions."