From the Lifeboat's Facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Llandudno-Lifeboat/206077612742085LLANDUDNO AND RHYL LIFEBOATS LAUNCH TO STRICKEN CARGO VESSEL
RNLI all-weather lifeboats from Llandudno and Rhyl were launched into a north-easterly gale, rough seas and driving rain last night to go to the aid of a cargo vessel which had gone aground at Llanddulas. At the same time a RAF Sea King rescue helicopter was tasked to the scene.
The German-owned, Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel, the m.v. 'Carrier' had loaded limestone at Raynes jetty, Llanddulas after arriving from Belfast. In the severe conditions she had been swept broadside on to the shoreline where she was being pounded by the heavy seas. She had a crew of seven.
Launching at 2040 hrs the two lifeboats arrived on scene shortly after 2100 hrs. However the extreme sea conditions and the ship's position precluded any attempt to take off the vessel's crew by sea. It was therefore decided to await the arrival of the helicopter which would attempt to winch the crew members to safety, with the lifeboats providing additional illumination from seaward.
The Sea King arrived overhead at 2200 hrs, and whilst assessing the situation its crew reported seeing a small fire below the port bridge wing of the 'Carrier', making an immediate airlift of the crew members even more imperative. As a result police closed the east-bound carriageway of the A55 (the nearest available landing place) and in the first lift a number of the ship's crew were transferred to this point.
This operation, in the continuing atrocious weather conditions, was made even more difficult when a power failure on land caused the street lighting on the A55 to be extinguished, making it too dangerous for the Sea King to attempt another landing. Instead, the aircraft took further crew members who had been winched off to the landing pad at Colwyn Bay police HQ.
When only two people remained on the ship, the helicopter's winch became unserviceable and the aircraft had to return to Valley. A second helicopter was then tasked and by 0100 hrs the last two crew members had been transferred to safety, allowing the lifeboats to begin the passage back to their respective stations.
