29 November, 1999
Yarmouth Coastguard have been monitoring a Belgian fishing trawler the `Vol Harding'' with five people on board which reported she ran aground just after leaving Lowestoft harbour bound for fishing grounds earlier this afternoon.
Her predicament was reported to Yarmouth Coastguard at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon by Lowestoft Port Control and the Lowestoft all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch in an attempt to pull her off into deeper water. The attempt failed and the trawler remained hard aground.
Stuart Cameron, Watch Manager of Yarmouth Coastguard explains:
" The owner of the vessel who was aboard the trawler was in contact with his insurers and a contract with Klyne Tugs of Lowestoft was agreed, with `Lady Laura'', a Klyne tug, due to arrive on scene at 23:00 this evening. The trawler was not carrying any cargo and had been on her way out of the harbour when the incident occurred about half an hour after leaving port.
" Fortunately the weather remained calm tonight with light south westerly winds, calm seas and some mist reported with visibility up to half a mile. The next high water is at 2.00 a.m. tomorrow morning (Tuesday). The plan agreed when the tug arrived was that a line would be put aboard the trawler ready for refloating at the appropriate time. However, as the tug came to her aid the skipper of the trawler felt his vessel come off the sandbanks. The lifeboat, which remained on scene, then proceeded to guide the trawler back out to sea. There are no reports of pollution or any immediate sign of damage to the vessel."
