RNLI Angle’s all weather lifeboat was launched early Wednesday morning following a mayday from a 15 metre fishing vessel, which was sinking rapidly off Rat Island, at the entrance to the Milford Haven Waterway. There were five crew members on board.

The Tamar class lifeboat Mark Mason was launched at 2.15 am at the request of Milford Haven Coastguard. A local pilot vessel and a coastguard rescue helicopter had also been tasked to the scene

The lifeboat reached the area in six minutes and found the fishing vessel was now in shallow water off West Angle Bay, with the pilot vessel standing off.

The lifeboat manoeuvred alongside the casualty and transferred a salvage pump and two crew members to attempt to pump out the vessel. Soon afterwards, the fishing vessel’s skipper decided his vessel was unsafe and ordered his crew and the two lifeboat volunteers to abandon to the liferaft.

Once clear of the listing vessel, the lifeboat recovered all from the liferaft and, as there was nothing more that could be done, took the survivors to the Milford Haven Port Authority jetty.

There, the casualties were handed over to coastguards and the lifeboat was released to return to her station at 3.35 am.