Five teenagers aboard the stricken vessel are carried to safety by the RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew

Midweek Herald: Lyme Regis Lifeboat crew memberTom Wallis. Picture: RICHARD HOROBINLyme Regis Lifeboat crew memberTom Wallis. Picture: RICHARD HOROBIN (Image: Archant)

Lyme Regis lifeboat rescued five teenagers from a stricken yacht in the early hours of today (Wednesday, September 27).

The crew was called to assist a 35ft sailing boat that had broken free from its mooring off Lyme harbour at 2.45am.

The yacht had drifted towards the shore and ran aground on the beach near Lucy’s Ledge, in Lyme Regis.

There were seven people on board, including five sea cadets.

The teenagers were taken off the boat and ferried to the lifeboat station. All were safe and well.

The volunteer crew of the lifeboat then returned to tow the boat - the TS Vigilant, part of the Sea Cadets fleet - back to a mooring.

The boat and crew were on route from Plymouth to Poole, stopping at Lyme Regis for the night.

The five Sea Cadets were from the London and Birmingham areas.

Helm Tim Edwards said: “I was pleased we were able to get the teenagers to safety of the lifeboat station and then recover the casualty vessel from trouble. The lifeboat crew performed really well and the all the training we do was put to good use!”

And he had special praise for crew member Tom Wallis.

Tim said: I brought the lifeboat alongside the grounded yacht in pitch darkness. Tom went aboard the yacht to reassure the youngsters and the two adult crew members. He then helped all seven people to board our lifeboat, which was quite an exercise in almost total darkness.

“Later Tom stayed aboard the yacht to assist as we re-floated it and towed it to safety.”