VOLUNTEER lifeboat crews from Minehead have helped to rescue two yachts in distress in the first fortnight of June.

The first call-out for the Minehead Royal National Lifeboat (RNLI) station’s Atlantic-class lifeboat was to assist colleagues from Ilfracombe when a yacht was reported drifting near Foreland Point, in Lynmouth Bay, at about 7.40 am on Monday, June 1.

The boat had run out of fuel and the skipper and their child were incapacitated due to sea-sickness.

The skipper knew to call 999 for Coastguard assistance, but he was unable to communicate with the RNLI crews due to a lack of knowledge of VHF radios.

The yacht did not have enough functioning lifejackets on board, and the Minehead crew helped Ilfracombe RNLI to tow the vessel to safety in Combe Martin.

An Ilfracombe RNLI spokesperson said the volunteer crews launched their all-weather lifeboat and on reaching the two people on the yacht they took the pair onboard.

They said: “Our all-weather lifeboat brought the two people back to Ilfracombe, leaving the crew of Minehead’s Atlantic 85 to begin towing the yacht to safety.”

Then, on Sunday, June 7, the Minehead crew came to the rescue again when a yacht sailing from Portishead to Cornwall suffered engine trouble.

The boat was towed into Minehead Harbour due to the lack of a suitable anchor on board.

Minehead RNLI chairman Richard Newton said: “Both of these rescues really indicate the need for crews to be prepared before setting sail.

“Thankfully, both had a happy outcome, but the consequences could have been far worse.

“Make sure you know what you are doing, carry the correct equipment, and know how to use it.”

The RNLI provides a 24-hour search and rescue service from 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland, and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.