Boat Launched : Atlantic 85
Date : Thursday 4 September
Launched at : 21:10
Returned at : 22:45
Weather : Calm and fine with a NNE F1 wind
The station picked up a radio distress call from a commercial fishing boat ‘Sarah C’ who had radioed the Solent Coastguard reporting an overheated engine and a water leak into the hull. The vessel had advised the Lifeboat Station the day before that they would be active placing fishing nets in the area to the south of the Outer Wreck off Chichester Harbour entrance. The Atlantic 85 had just returned from an assessment exercise and the crew were still kitted out and it was agreed that the lifeboat should re-launch and take a salvage pump to the fishing boat. The lifeboat assessed the situation and set the pump to remove the water which had come in and towed the boat towards its home port of Emsworth. On reaching the boats mooring they then stayed with the casualty as water was still leaking in. Once fixed ‘Sarah C’s’ skipper returned to shore and the lifeboat was stood down.
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