HOYLAKE Lifeboat helped in a rescue which averted a potential disaster when a blazing trawler drifted out of control towards a gas rig in Liverpool Bay.

The burning trawler drifted towards Hamilton Oil Platform which is visible from Wallasey. The blaze was spotted, early on Saturday morning by Rig Support vessel 'Grampian Supporter' which rescued five crew members, who abandoned the Belgian registered 'De Zeemeeuw' in an inflatable dinghy. The trawler was bound for Liverpool with 130 boxes of fresh fish aboard.

Hoylake Lifeboat 'Lady of Hilbre' joined the rescue in heavy seas, around 8am to find 'Grampian Supporter' fighting the fire.

The lifeboat stood by as the crew were put back on the trawler to cut nets and prepare for a tow. Lady of Hilbre then took the exhausted fishermen back to Hoylake but drama continued on the high seas. Tug 'Oakgarth' sent by Liverpool Coastguard, had difficulty securing the tow and the smouldering wreck threatened to drift in the busy approach channels of the River Mersey.

Hoylake Lifeboat re-launched again with the Master/Owner of 'De Zeemeeuw' Captain Guy Anterens and another crew member.

Thanks to the skill of coxswain David Dodd and his crew, the ship was reboarded again and towed into LIverpool Langton Dock. The Lifeboat safely returned to Hoylake after the 14 hour operation, said Lifeboat spokesman John Curry.

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