Coastguard called out after report of stranded children off Furness coast
Furness Coastguard Rescue Team was called out after a report of children stranded on boats off the Furness coast. The incident happened on Sunday, April 19th, after several vessels got into difficulty while returning from Fleetwood.
Emergency crews were sent after early reports suggested there were boats stuck or broken down, and that children were on board. Furness Coastguard said the initial information was confusing, but serious enough for a full-time senior coastal operations officer to be called in to help.
Several boats ran into trouble
According to Furness Coastguard, the incident involved more than one vessel. Officers said they received reports of one boat running aground, one running out of fuel, and one with a broken fuel line.
The team stayed at Ferry Pitching and Barrow Sailing Club until everyone had been accounted for and brought back safely. That suggests the situation was not just a simple breakdown, but a multi-boat incident that needed a coordinated response.
RNLI and rescue teams also attended
A number of rescue teams were involved in the operation. Barrow RNLI, Morecambe RNLI and Ulverston Inshore Rescue all attended alongside the coastguard team.
Barrow RNLI said it launched its inshore lifeboat at around 6.40pm to Piel Island. Crews spoke to people on board two of the boats that had managed to reach shore, but one vessel was still unaccounted for after the group became separated in worsening wind conditions.
One boat stranded on Mort Bank
Rescuers believed the missing boat had run aground on Mort Bank in Morecambe Bay. However, with low tide approaching, there was not enough water for the Barrow lifeboat to reach it. The RNLI hovercraft from Morecambe was then tasked to help.
Once there, the hovercraft crew transferred three people from the stranded vessel and brought them back to safety. A fourth person stayed on board to wait for the incoming tide so the vessel could refloat.
Later, at around 9.20pm, Barrow RNLI was asked to go back out and help escort the refloated boat back along the Walney Channel to Barrow Sailing Club.
Safety warning after the rescue
After the incident, Furness Coastguard urged boat owners to take more care before setting off. The team said people should check tide times, complete a passage plan, and inspect fuel systems, oil levels and filters before sailing.
The incident is a reminder of how quickly problems at sea can grow. Especially when several vessels are travelling together and conditions begin to change.
In this case, everyone was accounted for and recovered, but the callout still required a major response from multiple rescue teams. That conclusion is based on the number of agencies involved and the sequence of rescue actions described by the coastguard and RNLI.
