Tenby’s all-weather lifeboat was launched just before 4 pm on Friday to go to the aid of a 21-foot fishing vessel which had suffered engine failure off Pendine.

The vessel had, in fact, suffered engine failure earlier in the day, but had told the coastguard that they were happy to wait until they could organise a tow later on.

With light fading and the vessel drifting further south, the decision was made to launch the lifeboat.

The lifeboat was soon on the water and the volunteer crew performed visual and radar searches for the casualty vessel. The boat was located close to military range marker buoy DZ4.

The lifeboat pulled alongside the fishing vessel and established that the three crew on board were ok. The fishermen requested a tow to Laugharne, saying they would paddle in later as the tide was too low to get over the bar. It was decided for safety reasons to tow the vessel back to Tenby.

The lifeboat arrived back at Tenby shortly before 6 pm and as there was insufficient tide in the harbour, the casualty vessel was placed on an outer mooring before being towed into the harbour later in the evening by the inshore lifeboat once the tide allowed.