Wells RNLI in major air-sea rescue for life raft spotted 27 miles offshore
A major sea search and rescue was launched after a sea tanker spotted a life raft drifting twenty-seven miles north of Wells-next-the-Sea.
UK Coastguard immediately requested Wells RNLI to launch the lifeboat and at 11:.50am on Thursday 10 November.
The all-weather lifeboat Doris M Mann of Ampthill launched and headed towards the sighting. At the same time the search and rescue helicopter based at Humberside was scrambled and headed to the scene.
Meanwhile the tanker Force Fisher, whose crew had reported the sighting, was standing by and at
12.10pm she radioed that the crew had managed to recover the life raft. There were no people on board.
It was identified as coming from an unmanned rig West Sole Charlie. Efforts were made to contact the operators to see if they had a life raft missing or if there was any of their workforce scheduled to be on board the rig. When contact couldn’t be established with the owners, the rescue helicopter diverted to the rig to do a visual check.
Everything seemed in order, so UK Coastguard stood down the tanker Force Fisher, the rescue helicopter and the lifeboat at 12.27pm. The lifeboat set a course for home and arrived back at Wells RNLI Lifeboat Station at 1.40pm.
RNLI media contacts
- Peter Rainsford, Wells RNLI Deputy Launching Authority, 01328 711463, 07789 967255, [email protected]
- John Mitchell, Wells-Next-the-Sea Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, 01328 710882 / 07831103166 / [email protected]
- Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) 0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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
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