Shoreham lifeboat crew tow vessel for 11 hours in '˜challenging conditions'

The all weather lifeboat at Shoreham was launched at 3am to assist Eastbourne lifeboat with an 18 metre broken down fishing vessel weighing 240 tonnes, a spokesman said.

The boat with six crew on board had broken down after getting a rope around its prop off Beachy Head, according to the spokesman.

The all weather lifeboat at Eastbourne towed the vessel towards Peacehaven before Shoreham lifeboat took over the tow.

The crew started the long towing process back towards Shoreham in windy and rough conditions, and finally reached there around 8.30am.

The tide was too low to get the vessel into the harbour so the vessel was anchored two miles off and the lifeboat returned to station.

The lifeboat crew then relaunched at 10.30am at high tide and set up another tow line and proceeded into the harbour where the vessel was secured.

Steve Smith, Shoreham lifeboat coxswain, said: “It was an extremely long shift for the volunteer crews in some challenging conditions.

“However we finally got her into the harbour safely.”