Yacht saved from rocks near Redcar after Coastguard alerted RNLI. Timely rescue averted potential disaster.
Mike Picknett saw the yacht going towards trouble, as he knows the area well. He called the Coastguard right away, who then alerted the Redcar RNLI crew at 11:52 AM on Friday, February 7.
Mike recounted seeing the yacht near the rocks with waves crashing over its deck. It was moving precariously towards East Scar rocks.
The Redcar lifeboat launched quickly to help, reaching the yacht in the nick of time, just before it hit East Scar. The team stated the yacht wouldn’t have survived.
A crew member boarded the yacht, and together with the lifeboat, they guided it to safety, thus preventing a disaster.
The yacht had been traveling from Hartlepool to Whitby amidst strong force 5 easterly winds and seas about 3 meters high. A force 8 wind was expected later, and the yacht was advised to return to Hartlepool.
Mike emphasized that crews train for these rescues, and local knowledge helped ensure everyone was safe. Their quick action stopped the yacht from wrecking and reminded everyone, “If you see trouble, call 999 and ask for the coastguard.”