LIFEBOAT MAGAZINE ARCHIVE

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A Yacht (1)

EMPTY YACHT FOUND AFTER COMBINED SEARCH Llandudno, Caernarvonshire. At 2.10 on the afternoon of the 14th June, 1962, the coastguard informed the honorary secretary that a message had been received from the no. 1 pilot vessel Sir Thomas Brocklebank that the Netherlands vessel Marvan had sighted a dismasted yacht at 12.30 five miles east of Great Orme's Head. The life-boat Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest was launched at 2.45 in a south-westerly gale and a rough sea. It was low water.

A helicopter also helped in the search but after an hour had to return to base.

The life-boat continued to search the area, visibility by then being reduced by rain squalls. The no. 1 and no. 2 Liverpool pilot boats also joined the search, and at 9.16 the no. 2 pilot boat reported seeing an upturned yacht and a rubber dinghy but no sign of survivors.

The life-boat immediately made for the position, which was eight and a half miles north-east of Great Orme's Head, and took the yacht in tow. The life-boat eventually reached her station at eleven o'clock at night. It was later learnt that the yacht had drifted with no one on board from Llandudno Bay the evening before..