Incident Date | 22-09-2024 |
| Launch Instruct | 16:15 |
| Lifeboat Used | ALB |
| Location of Casualty | Lyme Bay area. |
ALB launched following a May Day picked up by Falmouth Coastguard from a beam trawler, which was on fire 15 miles southeast of Berry Head.
RNLI Dart was also tasked and a Coastguard Helicopter (Helo) launched to assist.
A chartered angling boat, which was in the vicinity, heard the May Day, was first on scene and took on board an injured member of the fishing crew who had been in the engine room when the fire erupted.
The chartered fishing boat was intercepted by Dart RNLI and the Helo as it was making its way to Dartmouth. A winchman was lowered onto the boat and assessed the injured fisherman as too unwell to lift up into the Helo, so he stayed with the casualty as he was motored back to Dartmouth by sea. Once there he was met and immediately taken by ambulance to hospital.
Meanwhile, our Torbay ALB crew made its way straight to the stricken trawler. Fortunately, their auto fire system had successfully put out the fire. Another fishing boat was already there in case they could help. A third larger trawler also offered assistance, which we agreed to as she was sufficiently powerful herself to tow the casualty back to Brixham.
Sea and weather conditions were fair, so once we had established that the casualty vessel was no longer in any danger, and a towline had been successfully connected by the assisting fishing boat and she was safely underway, we reported in, were stood down and able to return to station.
Torbay Lifeboats 