Sailor rescued from 'unforgiving' seas near Hartland

6 April 2023

News image — The yacht lost power and its sails in rough weather

Dave Riley/RNLI Rescue — The yacht lost power and its sails in rough weather

The RNLI is reminding sailors of the importance of having an emergency plan after a dramatic rescue in rough seas.

The charity said a lone sailor issued a distress call after his yacht lost power and its sails off Hartland on the north Devon coast on 31 March.

Lifeboats from Appledore and Clovelly and a HM Coastguard helicopter responded.

The RNLI said crews battled 6m (20ft) waves and wind gusts of more than 50mph to rescue the yachtsman.

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It said it attempted to tow the boat back but volunteers opted instead to anchor the vessel and take the sailor off due to the challenging conditions.

Kieran Nolan-Jones, senior coastal operations officer for north Devon, said: "It is an important reminder of needing a method to call for help in an emergency situation.

"The seas can be very unforgiving of those that do not prepare."