A young crew member found himself playing a leading role in a dramatic sea rescue on Friday, over 250 miles away from North Wales, thanks to his RNLI training with Llandudno RNLI Lifeboat crew.
23 year-old Danny Jones, who’s ‘day job’ is a skipper of offshore support vessels, was in command of the 18-metre fast-response catamaran Offshore Progress working in the Thames estuary and carrying a group of engineers undergoing training in emergency drills.
He received an urgent radio call from Thames Coastguard and was asked, as the nearest available boat, to go to the aid of a 12-metre pleasure craft reported on fire 15 miles from his position.
Making full speed to the casualty, Danny brought his vessel alongside the disabled boat, the Princess Anne, whose petrol engine had caught fire. The vessel had two men onboard. He immediately transferred two of his engineer passengers, armed with a fire extinguisher, over to the casualty and they quickly put out the blaze.
Danny then ordered a towline to be rigged to the pleasure boat and after a 20 mile tow brought it safely into Brightlingsea harbour. Its two occupants were described as being shocked but otherwise unharmed.
Speaking afterwards Danny said:
‘It was great that the specialist skills I’ve learned during my 6 years of studying, training and taking part in exercises with the RNLI volunteer crew at Llandudno were put to good use. It was very satisfying to be able to help other sea-users in this way and to bring the operation to a satisfactory conclusion’.
