RNLI Angle’s Tamar class all-weather lifeboat, while on exercise on Thursday evening (21 April), was diverted at the request of HM Coastguard to a broken down RIB in Watwick Bay, near the entrance to the Milford Haven Waterway.
The lifeboat, Mark Mason, arrived on the scene in 5 minutes and found that a motor boat was alongside the RIB and the skipper had agreed to tow it back to Dale.
The lifeboat was released from the scene and continued with her crew training, some of which had already taken place on the way to the casualty, as it was the first time setting up a tow for new crew member Clark James.
It was the second alert to RIBs in four days for the lifeboat station. On the Sunday morning (17 April), the inshore lifeboat, Richard John Talbot Hillier, launched to the aid of a 6.5m RIB with engine problems about a mile from St Ann’s Head.
The lifeboat reached the casualty, which had 2 persons on board, in 15 minutes and found that a motor cruiser had the RIB under tow. Her skipper was happy to continue the tow to Neyland, from which the RIB had set out, and the lifeboat returned to her station.
