Swanage lifeboat joins search for missing person

The ALB was initially tasked to conduct a shoreline search from Sandbanks towards Bournemouth pier and launched into a strong easterly wind, causing rough seas in Swanage Bay. The lifeboat began the search at 10.00pm and was joined by Poole lifeboat, a coastguard helicopter and various coastguard search teams.

Around 40mins later, when the lifeboat was part way through an amended search pattern, the missing person was found ashore and the ALB was released to return to station.

However, when the ALB approached the Swanage slipway it became clear it was too rough to safely re-house. The lifeboat diverted to the calmer waters of Poole Bay and took temporary shelter in Poole Quay Yacht Haven, where the volunteer crew managed to get some food and rest.

Approaching 4.00am the conditions in Swanage had eased so the ALB left its temporary berth and returned once again to Swanage. Conditions were far from ideal, but the crew managed to successfully manoeuvre the lifeboat onto the slipway and recover to the boathouse.

The ALB was washed down, re-fuelled and the crew returned home after 8 hours on board.

ALB Crew: (Coxn) Tom Greasty, Gavin Steeden, Alice Haw, Fergus Holley, Scott Turner, Adam O'Neill
Shore Crew: (Head Launcher) Neil Collings, (Winchman) Jeremy Stein, Robert Aggas, Archie Burgess

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The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

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