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Russell MatthewsVolunteer Lifeboat Press Officer at Skegness.
Lifeboats News Release
Both Skegness RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboats were called out late last night (Thursday) following reports of a jet skier lost off the Lincolnshire coast.
The two lifeboats, Lincolnshire Poacher and Peterborough Beer Festival IV, were requested to launch at 10:45pm and tasked to search the water to the south of Skegness and towards the sand banks and firing range south of Gibraltar Point. Contact was made with the jet skier by mobile phone but apart from being able to communicate that he was somewhere in shallow water in the area of the firing range, his location could not be accurately determined. Local coastguards and RAF helicopter 'Rescue 128' were also involved in the search, with the helicopter crew locating the man at 12:40am, 2.5 miles south west of Gibraltar Point. All-weather lifeboat Coxswain, John Irving, said the jet skier was lucky contact could be made by mobile phone. John said: ‘We understand he had been trying to get from Boston to Skegness earlier in the day but ran aground during the falling tide. He later returned to his jet ski at high water to continue his journey but became disorientated in the darkness.’ John added: ‘The Wash is a very big area to get lost in so he was very fortunate he was able to get a mobile phone signal to raise the alarm and narrow down his location.’ Having winched him aboard the helicopter, the casualty was taken to coastguards on the bank and driven back to Skegness to be reunited with his family at the lifeboat station. The two lifeboats returned to Skegness to be recovered, refuelled and washed down, with the volunteer crews heading home at 2:30am. RNLI Sea Safety AdviceThe RNLI offers free safety information for all sea-goers, including advice on the various ways of calling for help, on their website at www.rnli.org/seasafety. RNLI media contactsFor more information please contact Adam Holmes, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer (Volunteer) on 07966 282294, or Alison Levett, RNLI Public Relations Manager, North, on 07786 668912.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland from 236 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 180 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0845 122 6999 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland
Our lifeboat crews launch 24 times a day on average. Find out which station has launched near you around the UK and Republic of Ireland. View shouts.
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