A tug boat crew has told how they fought extreme conditions to rescue a drifting cargo ship in mountainous seas.

The crew of the tug Kingston have given their account of the dramatic night-time operation to secure the ship, the Pilsum, which lost power off Portland and started drifting towards the Purbeck coast blown by violent winds.

The Echo previously reported how authorities were warned to prepare for a potential environmental disaster as the ship drifted towards St Alban's

Head on New Year's Eve – but thankfully a 'crisis' was averted.

Working with lifeboat crews, who had been called out and were standing by the stricken vessel, the tug Kingston from Poole-based Griffin Towage came to the rescue.

Captain Jon Evelegh plus crew members, Damian Lockie, Carl Deegan and Colin Mundy were involved in the operation.

Mr Evelegh said: "Damian said the Coastguard had just updated him that the weather forecast had increased to storm force ten, and they were asking if we still intended to sail.

"I had been told that no other tugs were offering assistance, so horrific as it sounded I felt that if we didn't go then nobody else was going to help them."

Mr Evelegh said Pilsum was closing in on the rocky coast at an "alarming pace" and although the cargo ship had an anchor down, in the extreme conditions it was simply dragging along the seabed.

At about 7.20pm they reached the Pilsum.

"The waves were as big as houses and there was precious little time left for the ship," Mr Evelegh said. 

To save time, Mr Evelegh decided to use a fibre rope tow, instead of the usual heavy wire bridle, as it could be rapidly pulled aboard the ship and secured.

The crew tried to get close to the cargo ship and made several attempts to secure it but, in the strong winds, they couldn't secure a main tow as,

Mr Evelegh said, even the large Pilsum was being "tossed like a cork". 

A good hour since the crew started their efforts, they finally managed to attach a main tow and the tug was able to proceed with the cargo ship in tow.

Mr Evelegh said the decision to use a fibre rope then played on his mind.

"I had no way of knowing how long the rope would last. The rope might last days, or last minutes. I had to get into sheltered water as soon as possible. Poole Bay was the nearest safe option."

He added it was a great relief to get the Pilsum safely to anchor, and the crew arrived just in time to witness new year fireworks light up the coast.

"I would like to congratulate my crew on a job well done. At times the crew were themselves actually submerged in freezing crashing seawater on the deck and no amount of safety equipment can make you 'safe' in that environment," Mr Evelegh said.

He added: "I would also like to thank the RNLI for their attendance. During the rescue in the atrocious conditions the RNLI lifeboats from Swanage and Weymouth stood by in case they were needed, and if anyone had fallen overboard they could have proved invaluable."

PM's praise for rescue crew 

The rescue operation by the tug crew and the RNLI has been praised by Prime Minister Theresa May in Parliament.

Swanage and Weymouth lifeboat crews, along with the crew of Griffin Towage's tug Kingston were thanked by the PM for helping to avert a disaster when they went to the rescue of the Pilsum.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax highlighted the rescue during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

“While most of us were celebrating over New Year’s Eve, the crews of the Poole-based tug Kingston and the Swanage and Weymouth lifeboats were battling mountainous seas and 70mph winds off the coast of Dorset to prevent a cargo ship from being blown onto the rocks,” he said.

He said the skill of the crews led to a tow being fixed and “a disaster prevented”.

Mr Drax invited Mrs May to thank the crews for their professionalism, courage and determination.

The Prime Minister said: “I’m very happy to do that, to praise all those who were involved in averting a disaster, both the tug crew and those involved in the RNLI.

“Indeed I'd like to go further. Those volunteers in the RNLI do a fantastic job around our coastlines day in and day out and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”