On Tuesday morning, a volunteer lifeboat team from the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was called into action to help the Finnwave, a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship weighing 33,000 tons. The ship had issued a Mayday alert due to an engine fire about 11 miles southeast of Eastbourne.

The RNLI's All-Weather Lifeboat, named Esme Anderson, faced moderate seas and winds of force five as it raced to the scene. When the lifeboat crew arrived, they found that the crew of the Finnwave had already put out the fire, but the 217-meter vessel had lost all engine power.

The RNLI team confirmed that all crew members were safe and did not need to be evacuated. They stayed near the drifting ship while the crew worked on deploying the anchor. The lifeboat remained on the scene for over an hour under tough sea conditions until the anchor was successfully set and holding.

The Solent Coastguard later confirmed that the Finnwave was safely anchored, allowing the lifeboat crew to return to their station. The coastguard continues to keep in touch with the Finnwave as repairs are underway.

The Finnwave is operated by Finnlines and is an ice-class 1A ro-ro vessel built in 2012, with a refurbishment in 2018. It has a gross tonnage of 33,816, is 217.8 meters long, and can accommodate 111 reefer units across a total lane length of 4,192 meters.