Port Talbot RNLI lifeboat tasked twice in a day

The lifeboat was on exercise when the first call came in at 12pm when a 20 foot motorboat from the River Afan had broken down close to Nash Point.

As the area was quite close to Porthcawl, Porthcawl RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers were tasked with towing the boat to Port Talbot and handing the tow over to the Port Talbot RNLI lifeboat. Once a tow was established by the Port Talbot volunteers at the mouth of the river, the boat was towed to the slipway for recovery. Both lifeboats were then stood down.

The second call came at 7pm, when Port Talbot lifeboat was tasked, together with both lifeboats from The Mumbles, after UK Coastguard received a mayday call from a vessel in the Swansea Bay area.

Despite a full search of the whole area, including the rivers, nothing was found. The Coastguard believe it was a false alarm. All lifeboats were then stood down and returned to station.

Port Talbot lifeboat arrived back on station at 8.15pm and was then made ready for sea.

Media contacts:

For more information please contact Mel Cooper, Port Talbot RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07814 985057 or Chris Cousens, RNLI Press Officer, Wales and West, on 07748 265496 or 01745 585162 or by email on chris_cousens@rnli.org.uk

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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 over 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 142,700 lives.

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