Weymouth RNLI carry out night-time rescue
Weymouth RNLI volunteers launched their lifeboat to rescue a 9m
yacht that was lost in the fog with communications and navigation failure.
Portland Coastguard were alerted to the incident just before 9pm on Monday and Weymouth RNLI lifeboat was launched to help
the cruiser Doolou.
The skipper aboard the yacht was having trouble with its radio
and had lost its GPS system. He was unsure of the boat’s position in the fog but believed it to be 11 nautical miles south-east of Weymouth.
Weymouth lifeboat was launched at around 9pm and towed the vessel back to shore at around midnight.
A coastguard spokesman said: ‘At 8.51pm Weymouth RNLI Lifeboat was launched to the motor sailer Doolou with two people on board after the vessel made intermittent transmissions on VHF radio.
‘Very little information could be obtained except that the vessel was in poor visibility and the radar and other navigation equipment was failing but they believed that they were 11nm south east of Weymouth.
‘Once on scene, Weymouth Lifeboat took the vessel under tow. As they were approaching Weymouth, the Doolou reported that one of the two on board was feeling unwell so they were met by Wyke Coastguard Rescue Officers and an ambulance.
‘Once alongside, the man felt much better and did not require hospitalisation.’