Lifeboat took captain ashore who's wife was in early labour

A lifeboat crew came to the rescue of the captain of the "GPS Battler" trying to get to his wife who had gone into early labour. The crew at Sea Palling was called in to help the skipper of the "GPS Battler" off the coast of Norfolk in the night of Aug 3, 2017. The boat was too big and seas too choppy for the tug to come ashore. The lifeboat crew was on a routine training exercise in the North Sea when the Coastguard got in touch and asked if they could help. They got a message saying, 'Stand-by, this is not an exercise'. The Kent-based boat was nearing the end of a 10-day shift retrieving debris when the captain was told his wife was in labour - several days before her due date - and three days before the tug was due to dock. Besides getting the captain to shore, tThey also had to get a replacement captain on board the tug, so had to make two trips. The tug's skipper was then driven home to Kent by his employer. However, after all the drama, his company GPS Marine said Mr Bath's wife had not yet had her baby and they were all still waiting.