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Tug disabled off Mersey

The Hoylake’s RNLI lifeboat "Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood" launched to assist the "Willpower" and the barge it was towing on Jan 18, 2015. The tug with a crew of four lost power whilst underway to the west of the Mersey Bar and was unable to proceed on course. The Holyhead Coastguard requested the launch of the "Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood" and coordinated the rescue for the first time since the closure of the Coastguard station at Liverpool last week. The volunteer crew were paged at 6.45 p.m., and the lifeboat was towed across the East Hoyle sandbank by the new Launch and Recovery Vehicle to the launch site shortly afterwards. The lifeboat was able to reach the casualty to the west of the Mersey Bar at 7.27 p.m. The tug "MTS Valour" had also proceeded to assist the casualty. The two vessels stood by the disabled tug and the barge which it had been towing. Another tug, the "Millgarth", with a pilot on board, was dispatched from the Mersey to assist in the rescue due to the size of the 80 metres long barge. Conditions were difficult for those attempting to take up the tow in the darkness with a rough sea and a heavy two metre swell. The Liverpool port authorities closed the Mersey to outward bound ships during the rescue due to the risks involved with the situation. At 9.50 p.m. the "Millgarth" was able to pick up the tow wire and held the barge in position to the west of the entrance to the Mersey until those ships which had been held up by the emergency were able to safely sail and clear the buoyed channel. The Hoylake RNLI lifeboat was requested by Holyhead Coastguard to standby the casualty while the tow was established and the barge brought in to the River Mersey safely. Once this had been achieved, the lifeboat was released by Holyhead Coastguard. It returned to the boathouse at Hoylake at 01.20 a.m.