Sudden Squall Flattens 6 Dingies Off Lytham
Posted: Jul 6, 2015
Sudden squall causes chaos at Lytham yacht race -Lifeboats launched to search for missing yacht.
A Mayday distress call shortly after 2pm on Sunday (5th July) alerted Liverpool Coastguard to a number of capsized dinghies off Lytham after a sudden, vicious squall touching Force 6 to a Force 7 near gale from the South West roared up the Ribble estuary scattering the yachts taking part in a Ribble Cruising Club race. Six boats were reported in difficulties with 10 people in the water after their vessels capsized.
The Coastguard requested the launch of Lytham St Annes inshore D class lifeboat (ILB) Sally at 2.15pm and when one of the yachts, a Wayfarer sailing dinghy, was reported missing the volunteer crew of the Station�s All-weather Mersey class lifeboat (ALB) Her Majesty the Queen were then paged 16 minutes later to also launch to help in the search.
Southport Volunteer Rescue Boat (VRB) and the Ribble Cruising Club Rescue Boat also shared in the search for the 5 metre long (16 foot) sailing dinghy, last reported as seen capsized with two people alongside in the water. Apart from this one dinghy, all the other casualties were quickly dealt with and their crews brought ashore where waiting ambulance paramedics were on hand to check them out for any injuries.
This just left the missing Wayfarer dinghy to find, which the Lytham St Annes ILB eventually did near Freckleton, after about an hour searching up river. The two men on board confirmed they had not been in difficulties, and had decided to sail towards Preston.
The Lifeboat stayed with them for a short time to make sure all was working correctly before leaving the yacht to enter Freckleton Creek.
Both of the sea charity�s lifeboats returned to their respective boathouses, the D Class being recovered at Seafield Road and the Mersey class lifeboat opposite her boathouse on South Promenade. Both were then refuelled and cleaned by the volunteer crew before being re-housed.
Coxswain / Mechanic Martin Jaggs (picture by Bertram Greenhough) later said, �Although it turned out that the call to the final casualty was actually a false alarm, it had been correct to call out the lifeboat in that situation when it was unknown what had happened to the vessel and its crew.�
David Forshaw
(Lytham St Annes RNLI Volunteer Press Officer)