RNLI lifeboat rescues four people on stricken boat out in dark 11 miles from shore

The crew of a stricken 25ft angling boat had to be rescued by Hoylake RNLI after they became stranded out in the dark in Liverpool Bay.

The fishing vessel suffered engine failure 11 miles off shore and had to drop anchor to prevent it drifting into the busy shipping lanes of the River Mersey.

The Coastguard contacted the RNLI at around 5pm on Saturday evening and Hoylake’s all-weather Shannon class lifeboat Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood and her volunteer crew were launched to the rescue.

With the tide flooding, it was decided that the safest option was to tow the boat to Liverpool Marina. Hoylake RNLI Coxswain Howie Owen said: “The casualties made the right call by alerting the Coastguard when they found themselves in difficulty near the busy shipping lanes of the River Mersey.

“Mechanical failure is the single biggest cause of rescue call outs to sailing and motor cruisers, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all RNLI lifeboat launches. If you get into difficulty at sea, always call the Coastguard on VHF Channel 16 or by dialling 999.”