Staithes and Runswick RNLI volunteers pulled off one of their fastest ever rescues after a dinghy capsized in Runswick Bay this afternoon (Friday 18 August).
RNLI/Grant McKee
Staithes RNLI crew in high speed rescue (l to r) Richard Pennell, Drew Baxter (helm), Chris Jackson
They helped the two male sailors out of the sea and returned them to the beach at Runswick none the worse for wear. The Staithes Atlantic 85 lifeboat had arrived on the scene in less than 10 minutes from the first alarm. It took only four minutes to muster a crew at Staithes, launch the boat and then complete a high speed voyage at 35 knots to Runswick Bay in another five minutes.
The alarm was raised by the RNLI’s new lifeguard team at Runswick where one of the lifeguards on duty took a paddle board out to the dinghy to ensure the sailors were safe and reassure them that the lifeboat was on its way.
The Staithes lifeboat crew were then joined by the independent Runswick Bay Rescue Boat and the dinghy was brought upright again.
A spokesman for Staithes and Runswick RNLI said: ‘This was an exemplary operation completed at optimum speed. The value of our new lifeguard team at Runswick was underlined and on the eve of our annual Lifeboat Weekend it is a timely reminder to all our visitors at both villages of what a professional job we do in keeping people safe at the seaside.'
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.
