The urgent need to prevent a 43-foot motor cruiser with an engine being involved in a Solent shipping lane collision led to the launching of Cowes RNLI lifeboat on Friday evening.
The motor cruiser, with a total of 6 people on board, suffered engine failure north of North Cardinal Buoy off Cowes foreshore, and deployed its anchor. Amid concerns the craft might still be involved in a collision with a passing ship, the lifeboat launched at 22:10.
On the scene, after the lifeboat crew had difficulty in raising the anchor, the anchor chain was eventually cut, leaving the anchor on the sea bed. The lifeboat then towed the craft to Trinity Landing, before returning to the lifeboat station about ten minutes past midnight.
