An elderly individual sailing alone was rescued from a boat that had run aground in the north-east of England after being stranded at sea for 45 days. Upon reaching land, the sailor found himself in further trouble when concerns arose regarding items discovered on the vessel, leading to the summoning of armed police and an Army bomb disposal team to King Edward’s Bay in Tynemouth on Wednesday evening.
The lone sailor was assisted off the boat by a lifeboat volunteer following reports of the vessel drifting dangerously close to rocks around 8pm, prompting two RNLI crews to respond swiftly. James Waters from the RNLI detailed that a crew member boarded the distressed vessel and helped the sailor onto the lifeboat as it grounded at the bay’s southern end, where it remained the following morning.
The RNLI reported that a crew member conducted an assessment on the vessel and found the sailor, who had been at sea for 45 days and required medical aid. With the vessel taking on water and being unstable due to sea conditions, the decision was made to remove the sailor from the boat. The lifeboat crew removed guard rails for easier access and transferred the sailor onto the lifeboat.
Mr. Waters emphasized the collaboration between RNLI crews and partner agencies, highlighting the successful teamwork that led to the safe rescue and medical attention for the sailor. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that a sailing vessel with one person on board was rescued by lifeboat and handed over to the North East Ambulance Service after drifting towards rocks at King Edward’s Bay.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson verified that an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded to the Tynemouth area at the request of the police to handle black powder found on the boat.