Horton and Port Eynon RNLI rescues two boats on busy Bank Holiday Monday

In the morning there was a fundraising cake bake sale at the boathouse which raised almost £500.

The volunteer crew hardly had time to draw breath after the fundraising event when shortly before 3.30pm information was received that a kayaker was in difficulty off Port Eynon Point. The crew were paged and the lifeboat was quickly launched and made its way to Port Eynon Point.

The lifeboat crew located the kayaker and towed him into the safety of the bay. The kayaker was visiting the area.

Before the lifeboat returned to the boathouse information was received that a boat was in difficulty off Oxwich Point, its engine having failed. 

The RNLI lifeboat quickly made its way and located the inflatable boat, which was approximately 2.5 metres in length.

David Tong of Gower Coast Adventures was in the vicinity in his boat Sea Serpent and had secured the boat, which had three people on board, to prevent it drifting. 

The RNLI lifeboat then took the inflatable in tow and towed it in to Oxwich Bay. The lifeboat was crewed by HelmRachel Hurford, Jon Tarrant and Tom Grove. 

Lawrie Grove, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Horton and Port Eynon RNLI, said: ‘When kayaking you should always check the tides, weather and wind direction before setting off. When going out in a boat powered by an engine in addition to checking the weather, wind direction and tides you should also ensure that you have enough fuel and that the engine is working properly.’    

RNLI media contacts:

For more information please contact Brin Hurford, Lifeboat Press Officer at Horton and Port Eynon RNLI, on [email protected], 07968 269 550, 01792 390391 or 01792 361142 or Danielle Rush, RNLI Public Relations Manager, Wales and West, on 07786 668829, 01745 585162 or by email on [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity 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 146,000 lives.

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