Lifeboat on ocean

Sheerness lifeboat crew in five-hour rescue in ‘horrendous’ conditions

Lifeboat crews faced blizzard conditions and zero visibility in a dramatic five-hour rescue in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Sheerness emergency crew took to the water after receiving calls a yacht with two people on board had broken down.

The 32-foot craft Katrina had suffered machinery failure more than 20 miles off the coast of Sheppey.

Lifeboat crew members, who set off at 12.25am, found themselves battling strong winds, a heavy swell and blizzard conditions as they fought to find the stricken craft with the weather at times causing zero visibility.

The yacht was found 22 miles north east of Warden Point.

Both people on-board were found unhurt and the yacht towed back to the lifeboat station at Queenborough.

All returned safely at 5.05am.

Coxswain Robin Castle said: “The weather conditions were horrendous, with driving horizontal snow. I’m full of praise for our volunteer lifeboat crew.”