Le Babe motor boat sinks after striking Puffin Island rocks

Le Babe aground at Puffin Island. Credit: Puffin Island Cruises/Island Princess

TAGS: Mayday

A motor cruiser sank after running aground on rocks at Puffin Island off the eastern tip of Anglesey, Wales.

The two crew aboard the 35ft boat, Le Babe, made a Mayday call at around midday today, 14 July.

They were rescued by a local motor cruiser run by Anglesey Boat Trips. Le Babe sank before it could be removed from the scene by lifeboat crews.

Motor boat aground at Puffin Island. Credit: Puffin Island Cruises

A spokesman for RNLI Beaumaris said: ‘The volunteer crew members of the RNLI Beaumaris and Moelfre lifeboats were paged at 12.18pm on Thursday 14 July 2016 in response to a Mayday call from a vessel that had struck the rocks on the west end of Puffin Island.

‘Upon the arrival of the lifeboats at the scene the crew of two who had been aboard the 35ft motor boat had been taken off by a local motor cruiser.

‘Beaumaris lifeboat then came along side the local RIB and transferred the two crew to Moelfre lifeboat.

‘As they required no medical assistance the crew of the casualty vessel had been brought back to Beaumaris Pier by another local boat.

‘In view of the location of the casualty vessel and it being in danger of sinking both the Beaumaris and the Moelfre lifeboats attempted to remove the boat from the rocks but they could not do so before the vessel sank.

‘The Annette Mary Liddington returned to Beaumaris and The Kiwi returned to Moelfre both the lifeboats having been at sea for five and half hours on this service.’

A spokesman for Puffin Island Cruises said: ‘Our very own Captain Stan (former member of the Beaumaris lifeboat crew) contacted Holyhead Coastguard to raise the alarm when the vessel’s own mayday calls went unanswered.

‘We gather that all persons on board were safely taken from the vessel by our friends at Anglesey Boat Trips who were running trips to Puffin Island from Conwy.’