Ben-my-Chree captain recounts yacht rescue

Thu, 20 Oct 2016

The Ben-my-Chree at the scene of the rescue (photo from Tony Radcliffe RNLI)

A captain for the Steam Packet Company has been discussing the role one of the company's ferries played in a rescue in the Irish Sea.

Chris Kelly, who is also part of the Peel lifeboat crew, was captaining the Ben-my-Chree from Douglas to Heysham earlier this year when he heard a mayday call and was asked to assist in a rescue by the coastguard.

Speaking about the rescue to the RNLI's magazine, Captain Kelly described looking for the yacht as like searching for a needle in a haystack, eventually finding the crew nine miles north of their track.

The Ben was the first vessel to make contact with the stricken yacht, providing those on board with water while a nearby lifeboat came to help.

The yacht had been heading to the Island on a fishing trip, but had to seek assistance when two of the three-man crew fell ill.