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23 Oct 2025

Torbay lifeboat rescues trawler in dramatic operation off South Devon coast

Fishing boat towed to safety after taking on water

Lifeboat rescues trawler

The trawler rescue off Start Point Pic Torbay RNLI

Reporter:

jim Parker

04 Feb 2024 3:27 PM

Email:

jim.parker@clearskypublishing.co.uk

Details have emerged of a dramatic sea rescue involving the Torbay lifeboat and a trawler off the South Devon coast.

Details have emerged of a dramatic sea rescue involving the Torbay lifeboat and a trawler off the South Devon coast.
Torbay RNLI received a request from Solent Coastguard to assist the trawler 18 miles south of Start Point - in force eight winds and four metre swells - whose skipper had reported water coming into his engine room.
The station’s ‘Deputy Launch Authority’ on duty immediately launched the All-weather lifeboat with seven volunteer crew.
The Severn Class ALB reached the trawler within 25 minutes. 
Torbay lifeboat Pic RNLI
The RNLI had been informed sea water had reached up to the deck plates from bilges and appeared to be coming in through the propeller shafts. More water appeared when under power, but the exact source and cause could not be identified.
The level of water had been brought under control with the trawler’s own pumps. However, a proper inspection in situ was not possible given the prevailing conditions and making her own way back to harbour might exacerbate the problem.
Given the circumstances, lifeboat Coxswain Richard Fowler decided it would be safer for the trawler’s crew to stay on the vessel and to tow her with crew aboard to safety rather than transfer everyone over to the lifeboat, which would have left the trawler as a potential hazard for, and until, a tug could bring her in.
One of the RNLI crew transferred over to the trawler, to help coordinate the tow, taking a spare salvage pump with him in case required.
Coxswain Fowler said after arriving back: "No matter how experienced, prepared, and skilled you are, the sea can always throw up an unexpected challenge. What matters is ensuring the safety of the lives involved once a problem arises. And today we took right precautions to do that.
"Sea conditions out there were certainly fresh, if not quite as extreme as we have seen recently. Our Severn Class lifeboat coped well towing such a heavy vessel in those choppy waters. But it was a bumpy ride back home, straight into a chilly north easterly wind the whole way. A hot cup of tea with fish and chips, were waiting for us back at the boathouse, which made up for it all."
Before returning to the station, the lifeboat crew first had to release the trawler in tow, which they did just within Brixham’s outer harbour. They then waited on standby as her skipper started engines and checked if any further water ingress happened whilst under power, in the relative safety of the breakwater.
The lifeboat then escorted the trawler back to her berth. The crew refuelled the lifeboat, moored her up, and made her ready for service before everyone headed back into the boathouse for tea and fish and chips. From start to finish the operation had taken over seven hours.
For more information about RNLI Torbay visit https://torbaylifeboat.co.uk/

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