Gafirs tow broken vessel to safety

The 24ft cruiser had broken down in the channel that approaches Portsmouth Harbour, near Spitbank Fort.

UK Coastguard called Gosport & Fareham Inshore Rescue Service at 9pm on Sunday and the lifeboat was launched less than 15 minutes later from its base at Stokes Bay, Gosport.

Coxswain Pete Byford said: ‘We soon located the casualty vessel and took it under tow, away from the busy shipping lane, and safely into Haslar Marina in Portsmouth Harbour.’

The emergency followed two other jobs for Gafirs on Sunday.

The first saw rescue crews launched by the Coastguard at around 2pm to assist a 14ft motor boat that was reportedly on fire off Daedalus hovercraft slipway, Lee-on-the-Solent.

When Gosport lifeboat arrived at the scene the Coastguard’s Hill Head Mobile unit was there and the fire within the outboard motor had been extinguished.

And at 3pm Gafirs were called to assist a 28ft yacht that had run aground in Portsmouth Harbour.

But the owner decided to wait until high tide and refloat at that point and Gafirs were stood down by the Coastguard.

PICTURE: Gafirs crew tow a broken down vessel into Portsmouth Harbour Picture: Gafirs