Four individuals were rescued from a yacht after it caught fire approximately 22 miles off the Isles of Scilly on July 4. The vessel was seen burning for over four hours in the evening. St Mary's RNLI was dispatched at 5:35 p.m. following a distress call.
Initially, the skipper believed the fire was manageable and requested a tow back to shore. While awaiting permission from the coastguard, the owner attempted to restart the yacht's engine. This action reportedly caused black smoke to appear, prompting the evacuation of the four passengers by the RNLI lifeboat crew.
The rescued individuals were taken to St Mary's Harbour, unharmed. The yacht continued to burn into the night, with its flames still visible at 9:50 p.m. A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that HM Coastguard received the report of the fire just after 5:30 p.m. The agency stated that hourly shipping safety broadcasts are being issued, and relevant authorities, including HM Coastguard Counter Pollution, have been notified. Close monitoring of the situation is ongoing.
