PEOPLE taking boats out to sea are being warned to make sure that they are fully prepared following a nighttime rescue.
The Mumbles crew of RNLI volunteers were called from their beds on Tuesday night to go to the aid of a 44 foot motor cruiser spotted in the shipping lane of the Bristol Channel.
The station's all-weather vessel was launched at 11pm.
The crew came alongside the motor cruiser, which had four people on board, and discovered it had simply run out of fuel.
Within 20 minutes the vessel was under tow to safety.
Martin Double, coxswain of the Mumbles lifeboat, said: "This was a silly oversight on behalf of the skipper. He did drop anchor and there was no immediate danger. The sea was flat calm and the air was still but the tide could easily have landed this boat in danger."
Issuing a general warning to other boat users anxious to make the most of the current fine weather, he added: "It seems to be that as a result of the glorious weather we've had an incredible surge in launches in the last few weeks, mainly to boats whose skippers had not taken steps to ensure their boats were fit to go to sea.
"While we would urge all to call for help sooner rather than later, we would like to remind people that we are a charity and launches cost money so a little preventative maintenance and ensuring you have enough fuel should be the number one priority.
"Many boats we see being launched from Knab rock don't even have life jackets. After the horrendous accident in Cornwall earlier this year we would advise anyone taking to the sea to always have a life jacket and wear it when going to sea whether its a sunny, calm day or not."
