Watch: Tynemouth lifeboat involved in record-breaking 220 mile rescue

The rescue operation, which happened 110 miles out into the North Sea, was captured on camera. Credit: Maritime Coastguard Agency

Volunteers from the Tynemouth lifeboat have been involved in the furthest rescue at sea in the history of the RNLI.

The lifeboat was called to a stricken former fishing trawler 110 miles out in the North Sea.

The vessel, the Louise Thomsen, was travelling from Denmark to Sunderland when she started taking on water. A coastguard helicopter and plane were scrambled.

The crew of the Spirit of Northumberland attached a line and towed her to port. The alarm was raised at 6am yesterday (Tuesday 23rd June) but the rescue mission lasted for 19 hours.

110 miles, or a round trip of 220 miles, is the furthest an RNLI lifeboat has ever had to go out to sea for a rescue mission since the charity was founded in 1824.

Credit: Maritime Coastguard Agency