Yacht suffers engine failure off Eastbourne coast

A spokesperson from the RNLI said, “On Monday, May 31, 2021, the volunteer crew of Eastbourne RNLI were paged at 11.11pm to assist a yacht that had suffered engine failure close to Belle Tout lighthouse.

“The 27 foot yacht with one person on board was on passage from Gosport to Eastbourne when it suffered engine failure close to the shore at Belle Tout.

“The yacht skipper dropped his anchor and called for assistance using his radio.”

According to the RNLI the all weather lifeboat, Diamond Jubilee, was launched and arrived on the scene shortly after midnight.

A volunteer member of the crew boarded the yacht to lend assistance and the casualty vessel was towed to the safety of Sovereign Harbour before the crew stood down at 1.50am.

RNLI coxswain Mark Sawyer said, “This was a rapid response to an incident that could have escalated into something far more serious.

“Once the skipper realised the danger, he used his anchor to fix his position and used his radio to call for assistance, which our volunteer crew were able to provide.

“This shows the importance of having the correct safety equipment on board.”