Disoriented lone sailor rescued amid ‘very challenging’ weather

A dazed and tired sailor has been rescued by volunteers of Cleethorpes RNLI who helped guide them back to shore.

Volunteers from the organisation departed on the mission last night, Friday 18 April, at around 9:30PM and sailed towards a yacht between Cleethorpes and Humberston, which was being piloted by a lone, fatigued and disorientated sailor.

With assistance from a pilot launch from ABP, over the course of two hours, volunteers guided the vessel back towards Grimsby port, where it safely berthed in the Humber Cruising Association marina, where the crew handed over to the Coastguard.

Image: Media News GNP

Matt McNally, press officer and volunteer for Cleethorpes RNLI, said in a statement to Gi Grimsby News: “We launched around 9:30PM, and we went out to the yacht, which was between Cleethorpes and Humberston, and it was with the pilot boat that had been with it for some time.

“We got them pointed towards Grimsby, and with the pilot boat, we escorted it up towards Grimsby. The sailor was very tired having been out all day in worsening weather, so when it got to a place where it was safest to put somebody on board, I jumped onboard and took over steering the boat into the docks, and we got in around 10:30PM.

“And then got the yacht moored up, safely berthed, and handed over to the Coastguard, and we were back in Cleethorpes for about 11:30PM. It was around two hours for the crew in very challenging conditions.”

The challenging conditions that the crew had to endure included the quick wind speeds, with a gale force wind entering the equation by the end of the mission. Winds of that level are capable of reaching up to 46mph.

“When we launched, it was a force four easterly wind, and as time went on and by the time we got back, the weather observations at Donna Nook, which is just down the coast, were showing a steady force six wind with gusts up to gale force eight.”

Since the mission, RNLI Cleethorpes have released footage showing the public what these challenging conditions look like.

(Credit: RNLI Cleethorpes / Media News GNP)

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Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2024.

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