Twice a week Dart RNLI carry out training sessions to keep the crew on their toes and the morning of Saturday February 8 was seemingly no different when Helm Rich Eggleton, crew member Will Davis and new crew member Liam Hassard went out on the 85 to carry out a passing out session for Liam.

While out they heard some conversations over the radio about a lone yachtsman clearly in difficulty and when they contacted the Coastguard to check whether they could provide any help, they were asked to make haste to the stricken vessel some 15 miles offshore and very close to the shipping lanes.

Also tasked at the same time were Weymouth and Torbay All Weather Lifeboats (ALB's), Coastguard 224 (a plane) from Humberside and the Coastguard Helicopter.

Everyone arrived at once, but it was clear that the 85 (the Dart crew) was better placed to transfer the casualty who had sustained broken ribs and was very cold and poorly, off the yacht, onto the 85 and then onto the Torbay All Weather Lifeboat where he could be whizzed quickly to shore and the waiting ambulance to hospital.

Rich and the crew (with newly passed out Liam) then took the yacht under tow and made nine miles in two hours before Torbay ALB returned to take over the tow back to Brixham and allow the now very cold Dart crew to return to base.

This shout showed the benefits of how the flank stations work well together with bigger boats providing shelter and speed for poorly casualties and Dart’s own B class being able to get close to the casualty vessel to rescue them.

The current Dart Lifeboat Station was opened in 2007 although an earlier lifeboat was stationed in the town from 1878 to 1896.

It operates a D-class inshore lifeboat, and a B-class inshore lifeboat.