Cleethorpes and Humber RNLI assist yacht and capsized catamaran

The volunteer crew of Cleethorpes RNLI lifeboat Blue Peter VI were called out at 9.30 am yesterday morning August, 21,  following a request for assistance from a single-handed yachtsman whose vessel had run aground at Donna Nook, nine miles south-east of Cleethorpes.

The skipper of the small yacht Ersingberge was brought into Cleethorpes by the inshore lifeboat, and needed to return home immediately to Tyneside by train, due to a family emergency – forcing him to leave his boat unattended on the beach near the firing range.

Due to the smaller evening tides the decision was taken to delay attempting to refloat the vessel until this morning,  August 22.

Both Cleethorpes RNLI and the larger all-weather Humber RNLI lifeboat Pride of the Humber launched at 7am this morning, working together to pump water from the hull of the yacht and tow her from the sandbank into Grimsby Marina.

Also on route into Grimsby at the same time was Skegness RNLI all-weather lifeboat The Lincolnshire Poacher, towing another yacht – the sight of three on-service RNLI lifeboats crossing in the River Humber is a fairly unusual one!

At 11am, the Helmsman of the Cleethorpes inshore lifeboat was forced to leave a crewmember aboard the yacht and depart without him after being tasked to divert to a capsized catamaran close to the Haile Fort.

Another nearby vessel had gone to the assistance of the catamaran sailor, recovered him from the water and returned him to the shore. The lifeboat crew and an assisting crewmember from the other vessel righted the craft and returned it to the beach at Humberston.

Teamwork seemed to be the order of the day for everyone involved, crewmember Ashley Roe-Gammon remarked on the prompt actions of the catamaran sailors at Humberston: "The capsized catamaran was manned by a single sailor who, once knocked into the water and slightly away from his craft may have struggled to summon assistance himself. Luckily others observed the developing situation and could offer immediate help, as well as making an emergency call to the coastguard."