Boat sinks off Hinkley point after Bristol Channel rescue

A trawler sank in the Bristol Channel, off Hinkley Point, and the two-man crew were rescued by lifeboat services.
The crew aboard the vessel were rescued by Burnham-on-Sea lifeboat services Credit: RNLI Barry Dock lifeboat

Volunteer RNLI crew from Burnham-on-Sea were called out to a trawler in the Bristol Channel yesterday, Thursday 17 August.

The incident happened at 7.30am near Hinkley Point when the forty eight foot vessel was between Watchet harbour and Portishead. 

After finding water flooding in, the two men aboard the boat radioed the Milford Haven Coastguard. The issue was quickly escalated to a ‘Mayday’ emergency and many rescue teams were sent out, including Burnham-on-Sea volunteer RNLI, a Barry Dock offshore lifeboat, and a helicopter. 

The engine room of the stranded vessel had taken on a significant amount of water and the pumps had stopped working. Upon arriving at the sinking boat, a lifeboat crew member had to enter the boat with a salvage pump.

The two crew members were rescued and were taken back to the Burnham-on-Sea lifeboat station for care. Measures to rescue the boat with the salvage pump were not successful and the lifeboat crews had to decide to abandon the boat as it sunk completely. 

Burnham lifeboat Helmsman Scott Rundle said: "We put a crew member aboard the casualty vessel with our station salvage pump. By this time the water was rising faster in the engine room, and the vessel was not recoverable"