Four lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were involved in a mercy mission to a stricken fishing vessel off the west Wales coast yesterday, Friday Martch 8.
The six-hour operation, co-ordinated by Milford Haven Coastguard, got underway shortly before midday when the Irish fishing vessel, the Shauna Leon, issued a Mayday distress call to say she was taking on water.
The Wexford-registered boat, with five people on board, was 24 nautical miles north-west of Strumble Head, Fishguard.
The all-weather lifeboats from St Davids, Fishguard and New Quay were all launched in response, together with Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 936 from Caernarfon.
Salvage pump
The helicopter crew winched a salvage pump on to the deck of the Shauna Leon, with Fishguard and St Davids lifeboats standing by.
With no casualties reported, New Quay lifeboat was stood down en-route.
The vessel was then escorted into Irish waters by the St Davids lifeboat, from where Kilmore Quay lifeboat took over the duty to escort her into the shelter of Kilmore Quay.
Sea conditions
A spokesperson for St Davids' RNLI said: "St Davids’ Tamar-class lifeboat, Norah Wortley, arrived on the scene at 1.10pm, with sea conditions rough in a force five to seven easterly wind. Fishguard RNLI’s Trent-class lifeboat, Blue Peter VII, arrived at 1.35pm.
"With no engine damage and the coastguard pump sufficiently reducing the water level, it was decided that the fishing vessel could be escorted the 35 nautical miles west to Ireland.
"Kilmore Quay’s Tamar-class lifeboat, Victor Freeman, was tasked by the Irish coastguard to complete the escort back to Ireland, launching at 2.10pm.
"At this point, Fishguard lifeboat was stood down and returned to Wales."
St Davids lifeboat escorted the trawler a further 20 nautical miles west south west towards Tuskar rock until Kilmore Quay lifeboat arrived at 3:20pm and took over the escort.
St Davids lifeboat arrived back at station at 6pm, and Kilmore Quay arrived back to their base shortly after at 6.10pm.
'Welcome to Ireland'
Will Chant, RNLI coxswain for St Davids RNLI lifeboat, said: “This rescue was a good, fast response from all crews, which with an incident of this nature was exactly what was required.
“Fortunately, the salvage pump from the helicopter was all that was required in order to quell the problems on board the trawler, and after that it was a straightforward but long job of escorting the vessel to safety.
"Our crew even received ‘welcome to Ireland’ messages on their mobile phones, such was the distance from home.”
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