Saturday afternoon both the St Helier inshore lifeboat and the all weather lifeboat were launched to help a french yacht in the Minquiers.

The yacht had fouled its propeller on a pot marker and was unable to make way. 

Due to the location of the yacht, the ILB was first on the scene and was able to quickly assess the situation. The crew onboard the yacht had managed to cut some of the rope free but unfortunately the remaining rope was wrapped so tightly around the propeller it was not possible to remove it. The ILB crew took the yacht in an alongside tow to get the vessel in to safe water and away from the shallow water on a falling tide. 

The initial intention was to hand over the tow to the ALB and take the yacht back to St Helier. However, after Jersey Coastguard had liaised with the French Coastguard, the St Malo lifeboat was launched and was making way to the yacht. The ILB handed over the tow of the yacht to the French lifeboat crew south of the Minquiers and then returned back to station.