In the early hours of Sunday morning, Humber Rescue volunteers were tasked by Humber Coastguard at 07:03 to respond to a PAN-PAN alert issued by a vessel that had lost engine power and was drifting outside the navigational channel near Winteringham Haven.
Upon arrival on scene, the vessel was found aground with two people onboard, both safe and well. Humber Yawl Club also attended and initially attempted a tow. However, due to the vessel’s draft and the rapidly falling spring tide, the first effort was unsuccessful.
Humber Rescue’s crew were able to safely come alongside, recover the vessel from the mud, and begin a controlled tow into Winteringham Haven.
Once inside the haven, the tow was safely handed over to Humber Yawl Club, who continued to assist the vessel. Due to the falling tide and the vessel’s draft, it subsequently grounded and dropped anchor to await a refloat later in the evening. The two crew members were transferred safely to Humber Yawl’s vessel, and a refloat will be attempted on the next tide.
Coxswain Andy Ward, who responded to the incident, said: “We’re always glad to offer assistance when needed, and it was great to work alongside Humber Yawl Club on this one. It’s also worth recognising the skipper, who did the right thing by raising the alarm early and was well-prepared, it made a real difference to how smoothly the operation went. A great example of teamwork on the water.”
Humber Rescue is a 100% voluntary organisation and receives no government funding. To support their lifesaving work, donations can be made via www.humber-rescue.co.uk