3:19pm Saturday 18th July 2009
TWO men have been rescued following an air and sea search after their boat drifted seven miles out to sea from the River Tyne.
Coastguards were alerted to a small boat with engine failure somewhere off the pier at South Shields at 8.20am this morning.
A man on the vessel had phoned his partner saying that he had broken down and was drifting alongside South Shields pier in the middle of the sea, after departing from the River Tyne two hours earlier.
A spokesman for the RNLI said: "The information about the vessel was very misleading and the lady was unable to provide any accurate information about the vessel."
Tynemouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat with three volunteer crewmen was launched and searched the area around the Tyne piers but nothing was found.
Coastguards then called in Tynemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat, and a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer to look for the boat in an area south west of the Tyne.
The boat was located by the rescue helicopter seven miles south east of the initial reported position.
It was met by Tynemouth RNLI all weather lifeboat and towed back to safety at South Shields, where the two men, from South Tyneside, were given appropriate safety advice by the lifeboat crew.
Tynemouth RNLI spokesman Adrian Don said: “This incident could have easily led to fatalities.
“The occupants of the vessel, both in their thirties, had a mobile phone with a flat battery, a VHF radio, again with a flat battery, one lifejacket between them and flares that were so far out of date that they failed to ignite.
“They were in a perilous position, to say the least.
“Anyone who goes to sea should be prepared for any eventuality: everyone on board a boat should have a suitable lifejacket, and the boat should have flares that are in date, and a marine VHF radio because mobile phones are notoriously unreliable at sea and their range is very limited.
“Thankfully on this occasion the two men were returned to safety no worse for wear but had they not been located quickly that could have been a different story."
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