Five men rescued from inflatable dinghies by Moelfre RNLI volunteer crew

Moelfre’s inshore lifeboat Enfys was tasked to the incident shortly after 3pm, when concerned members of the public dialled 999 after a dinghy was spotted nearly half a mile out to sea off Benllech. The volunteer crew located the dinghy using the stations high powered binoculars whilst the inshore lifeboat was on route, Moelfre’s HM coastguard team were also tasked.

Once on scene, the volunteer lifeboat crew quickly located the dinghies and secured them alongside. Two 6ft inflatable dinghies tied together were made into a makeshift raft with five young men between the ages of 21 to 23 onboard. The occupants had paddled out to a navigation buoy in the bay but failed to get back against the fresh 20mph offshore wind. 

Although cold, the five men did not require any medical attention so they were taken aboard the lifeboat and transferred back to the beach. The volunteer crew later recovered the dinghies to prevent any further reports by members of the public. 

RNLI helm at Moelfre lifeboat station, Vince Jones said;

‘Fortunately the five occupants of the dinghies were located quickly and the call for assistance was made early by a vigilant member of the public. They did not realise the danger until they saw just how far offshore they had actually drifted.

'The RNLI’s current #RespectTheWater campaign highlights the dangers of coastal waters and in particular is aimed at men aged 16 to 39 who are more prone to getting into danger on the coast – in the UK they account for over two-thirds of the coastal deaths over the past five years. The five young men did exactly the right thing and stayed with the boat and weren’t tempted to swim for shore.'

This is the second incident for Moelfre’s volunteer crew in the last two days, where the strong offshore wind has resulted in the need for people to be rescued.

Ends

Notes to editors

• Moelfre RNLI lifeboat station has been operating since 1830. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to the Moelfe Lifeboat Station webpage

• This year’s Moelfre Lifeboat day will be held on Saturday August 6th 2016.

• For more information on the current RNLI Respect The Water Campaign go to www.rnli.org.uk/RespectTheWater

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Vince Jones - Moelfre RNLI lifeboat mechanic and press officer on 07787528929.

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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.