On Saturday 18 July at 3.10pm, RNLI Aldeburgh were tasked by the Coastguard to a 5 metre yacht with a broken mast, in the river, approximately 1.5km south of the Aldeburgh Yacht Club.
The volunteer lifeboat crew were paged at 3.14pm and the D-class inshore lifeboat, Susan Scott, was launched into the River Alde and Ore at 3.40pm. The crew were on scene at 3.46pm, and confirmed that five people were on a 5 metre yacht with a broken mast. The yacht had been drifting towards the reeds at the side of the river when they alerted the Coastguard, but had since gained control of the boat. The Lifeboat escorted the yacht to the nearest point of safety, Aldeburgh Yacht Club.
The D-class lifeboat, Susan Scott, returned to station, was washed down, refuelled and back on service by 4.41pm
It was the ‘first shout’ for Aldeburgh RNLI crew member Alex, who started volunteering 10 months ago. He had recently passed the Crew Emergency Procedures course at RNLI Headquarters in Poole and, on Thursday 16 July, been formally recognised as ‘safe to go on service’.
If you see someone in danger in open water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard
 LizzieÂ
