A BARGE and its crew were towed to safety by rescuers after its engines failed.

The 20-metre long Stanton Rose was drifting rapidly upriver on the incoming tide above the old Severn Bridge when she radioed the Coastguard for help on Friday (April 7) afternoon.

Severn Area Rescue Association lifeboats Jim Hewitt and Swift and Bold were launched from Beachley, and two of the crew who are experienced boat engineers climbed aboard the converted barge and restarted its engine after a prolonged effort.

The barge’s crew had managed to drop anchor opposite Oldbury-on-Severn, but despite the repairs it proved impossible to raise again, as the powered windlass was malfunctioning and there was no manual option.

A crew at SARA Sharpness was stood by, and the Coastguard had also called in the powerful all-weather lifeboat from RNLI Barry Dock in case a tow was required.

Working together, the RNLI boat was able to take the weight of the barge off the anchor chain, so that the SARA crew aboard the Stanton Rose were able to disconnect and release the chain – attached to a buoy – to be collected at a later date.

The Stanton Rose was then able to make its way home to Portishead, shadowed by the lifeboats in case further engine difficulties occurred in the treacherous currents around the Severn bridges.

The SARA engineer crewmen remained on board until the barge was below the Second Severn Crossing.

“The barge was very fortunate that we had such skilled crew members aboard,” said SARA commander Mervyn Fleming.

“This has been another busy week for the lifeboat and rescue station. We also had the land search team out in Stroud for two days, and were delighted that the missing person was found safe and well, and one of our crewmen has been on all four callouts this week.”

SARA’s Lifeboat Rescue Crews, who are volunteers, train in the estuary at least once every week in daylight and darkness, fog and rough weather, to ensure that they have an intimate and current knowledge of the dangers of the waters.

com/severnrescue and www.sara-rescue.org.uk for more information.