Coastguards Rescue Yacht

Thames Coastguard received a radio call after a 25ft yacht had run a ground and became unsure of their location, as their GPS navigation system had failed.

The weather conditions were very poor and with an easterly force 8 gale and driving rain. Thames coastguards launched Walton RNLI lifeboat and the RAF rescue helicopter was called. Their aim was to find the vessel as quickly as possible.

The rescue helicopter was able to find a weak signal from the yacht, which helped the coastguards to locate the exact location. The lifeboat tried to get to the yacht but was restricted by the shallow water.

Due to the severe weather conditions and the breaking surf battering the yacht, the occupants of the yacht were winched from the vessel and evacuated ashore by the helicopter into the care of badwell coastguards.

Thames coastguard watch manager said this incident highlights the risk of relying solely on a singe gps navigation unit. A vessels position and track should be regularly plotted on a chart and a backup navigation system should be used during an offshore passage.

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04/11/2008 10:52:01