Selsey Lifeboat Station - Launches
28th June 2015
Both Selsey Lifeboats go to Yacht Aground on the Mixon Reef
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The RNLI volunteer crew at Selsey were paged at 2.20 p.m. on Sunday 28th June 2015. The 34-foot yacht 'Capreolus' had radioed an emergency call stating they had run aground off Selsey Bill on the Mixon reef.
The inshore Lifeboat, 'Betty and Thomas Moore', launched at 2.30 p.m. and proceeded to the vessel. The weather on scene was wind SW 3-4 sea state slight in sunshine. The vessel was laying over and so the inshore Lifeboat crew checked that the two persons aboard were OK and were happy to remain on the yacht which was on passage from Littlehampton to Southampton.
At 4.20 p.m. the inshore Lifeboat Helmsman requested that the all-weather Lifeboat was launched as the yacht was 8 tons in weight and moving around on the rocks as the tide was rising and could be holed. At 4.38 p.m. 'Voluntary Worker' was on scene with the casualty and the inshore Lifeboat.
The 'Capreolus' floated free from the reef at 5.35 p.m. with 'Betty and Thomas Moore' towing it to clear water where a check for damage and water ingress could be made. At 5.41 p.m. the Lifeboat released the tow and the yacht was able to use its engines, and so it was decided that 'Voluntary Worker' would escort them for a short time and 'Betty and Thomas Moore' would be released to return to station.
During the return to station at 5.46 p.m. a local dive boat conducting a drift dive with seven divers reported that he had no visual contact with the divers surface marker buoy (SMB) and so the inshore Lifeboat was diverted to a position 3 nm east of the station. At 5.50 p.m. the all-weather Lifeboat broke away from escorting the 'Capreolus' and proceeded to the dive incident.
When both Lifeboats were on scene at 5.59 p.m. they started searching straight away and at 6.06 p.m. the divers started surfacing and six were recovered to the Mulberry Divers rhib. With still one diver missing Solent Coastguard tasked Bembridge lifeboat and the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 104 to assist with search.
Two crew of 'Voluntary Worker' spotted the diver surface at 6.15 p.m. and both Lifeboats headed towards him. The diver was recovered into the inshore Lifeboat and checked out. All the rescue craft were stood down at 6.20 p.m. After reuniting the diver with his dive boat both Lifeboats headed back to Selsey arriving at 6.48 p.m. and rehousing straight away.
ILB CREW: Rob Archibald (Helmsman), Andy Lee and Dan Langford.
AWL CREW: Willy Pledger (Coxswain), Geoff Mellett (2nd Coxswain), Phil Pitham (Mechanic), Colin Pullenger, Max Wiseman, Pip Skeet and Kristina Dolan