 RAF helicopter pictures show the stricken vessel shepherded by lifeboats |
A former lifeboat which spent many years on rescue duties has itself been saved while at sea. The 1920s-built vessel, now a pleasure boat named William and Kate Johnston, was off the coast of Anglesey en route to a lifeboat convention when it began taking in water.
Two lifeboats and a helicopter were called out, and the three-man crew was given pumps for bailing out.
The 60ft boat was towed nine miles to Rhoscolyn, on the tip of Anglesey.
 |  The crew are not in good spirits. They are very dismayed about what's happened because they are responsible for this boat  |
When in service, William and Kate was known as RNLI lifeboat 682. It was heading from Holyhead to Falmouth, Devon. It got into trouble during a sea swell on Thursday afternoon, and was taking in up to two feet of water.
The Sea King helicopter flew from RAF Valley on Anglesey, and the Holyhead and Trearddur Bay lifeboats joined in.
 The William and Kate Johnston was beached in Rhoscolyn |
Tony Price, second coxswain of Holyhead lifeboat, said: "Off the South Stack area the conditions weren't too nice at all, but once we made the lee of the land it wasn't too bad. "At times it was a touch difficult, but apart from that... there was nothing we haven't been trained for."
Mr Price said: "At one point we contemplated taking everybody off it and letting the boat go down, but luckily enough the pumps managed to cope and she was run up the beach for her own safety".
Both lifeboats got pumps on board the vessel, but neither could cope with the amount of water and the helicopter delivered a third pump, which enabled the William and Kate to hold its own."
 The boat had been heading to the south coast of England |
Ian Wright, auxiliary coastguard at Rhoscolyn, said: "The crew are not in good spirits. They are very dismayed about what's happened because they are responsible for this boat. "They are just a transit crew and of course it's put them in a difficult position. This was going to be an important boat at the event and the safety and condition of the boat is at the forefront of their minds.
Nobody on board the William and Kate was hurt, and investigations are being carried out into the cause of the problem.
Last year was the busiest on record for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, with an average of nearly three people rescued every day in Wales.
There were more than 1,062 lifeboat launches, with 1,061 people rescued, up from 859 in 2002.
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