Volunteer lifeboat crews from Bridlington and Scarborough battled 50mph winds and four-metre waves during a major search operation sparked by an emergency beacon in the North Sea.
Severe weather and massive waves battered volunteer lifeboat crews as they raced into Storm Boelo following a distress signal off the Yorkshire Coast.
A major search operation was triggered on Sunday morning when an emergency beacon activated approximately 90 miles off Flamborough Head.
HM Coastguard received the alert at 8.30am from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. The distress device is designed to transmit a signal to a global search and rescue network, allowing emergency services to pinpoint the location of vessels or people in danger at sea.
Bridlington's all-weather lifeboat, the Antony Patrick Jones, launched into the storm just after 9am with a volunteer crew of five. They were joined in the rescue mission by Scarborough's all-weather lifeboat, the Frederick William Plaxton, which launched with six volunteers on board.
Treacherous conditions awaited the crews in the North Sea. Both lifeboats pushed forward at their best speed through Force 7 near-gale winds exceeding 50mph, while navigating waves that reached up to four metres in height.
A Coastguard rescue helicopter was also scrambled to assist with the emergency and was the first to arrive at the reported coordinates.
The aircraft conducted an extensive aerial sweep of the area. However, search and rescue teams found no vessel, debris, or any other signs of distress in the water, prompting HM Coastguard to stand down the search.
Both the Bridlington and Scarborough lifeboats were released from the incident and returned safely to their respective stations. Upon their return, the crews recovered their boats, washed them down, and prepared the vessels for their next potential service.
Bridlington RNLI Volunteer Launch Authority Josh Colley was on duty for the first time in his newly qualified role.
He said:
"This was my first shout as a qualified Launch Authority and certainly a memorable one. Despite the challenging conditions brought by Storm Boelo, our volunteer crew responded quickly and professionally to the tasking.
Whenever an emergency beacon is activated, we treat it as a genuine distress situation and launch immediately to provide assistance. Thankfully, on this occasion, nothing was found and all crews were able to return safely to their stations. I would like to thank the volunteers from both Bridlington and Scarborough RNLI, along with HM Coastguard, for their professionalism and teamwork throughout the incident."
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