Brixham coastguard tasked both inshore and all-weather lifeboats at 11.38am on 10 September. A 29-foot Bayliner leisure boat was experiencing difficulties in Lyme Bay.
Within four minutes, the inshore lifeboat George Bearman with three crew volunteers aboard, launched first. Once the location and situation was assessed by the highly trained volunteers, the all-weather lifeboat Margaret Jean launched at 12.13pm.
The Bayliner, named Uproar had suffered an engine failure 2.3 miles southwest of Orcombe Point. The three casualties aboard were making their way home from the river Exe to Plymouth. One of the charity’s lifesaving volunteers, Robert ‘Tommo’ Thompson jumped aboard the vessel to fix a tow rope. The George Bearman towed Uproar to a suitable point where the Margaret Jean could then take over the tow.
The six crew volunteers aboard the all-weather Mersey-class lifeboat towed the Bayliner to a visitors mooring at Starcross and returned to the lifeboat station. Both lifeboats were ready for service at 3pm.
Exmouth RNLI Coxswain/Mechanic Tim Mock said of the rescue;
‘Both boats were launched due to some confusion over the casualty’s position as it could have been two jobs going off at the same time. The inshore lifeboat was to locate at least one casualty while the other information was being verified that concluded in one and the same. With a fresh Northerly wind and choppy sea the inshore lifeboat was released and the Mersey-class lifeboat towed the casualty back to Exmouth.’
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