Beaumaris Lifeboat volunteers have an early start in preparing the bonfire.
The volunteer crew members of the Beaumaris lifeboat had arranged to meet at 12.30 pm to prepare the bonfire for the firework and bonfire evening being scheduled for 7.00 pm tonight. However fate had other plans.
At 8.45 am the pagers of the volunteer crew of the Beaumaris Inshore Atlantic 85 Lifeboat Annette Mary Liddington went off and they launched the lifeboat at 8.53 am proceeding towards Menai Bridge.
The U.K. coastguard at Holyhead had requested the volunteers to launch the lifeboat as they had received a report of an unmanned dinghy afloat near Menai Bridge pier.
In addition the Bangor Mobile Coastguard Rescue team had been requested to attend. On passage to the scene the lifeboat spotted some debris ashore and the position was given to the coastguard team for further investigation if required.
In the meanwhile the lifeboat had located the dinghy on the Bangor side of the Menai Strait opposite the pier at Menai Bridge it was apparent that no one was aboard and the boat showed no sign of recent occupation. The craft was towed to the slip at Menai Bridge where an unattended empty launching trailer was situated. The dinghy was then handed into the crew of the Bangor Mobile Coastguard team.
A search was then undertaken of the vicinity by both the lifeboat and the coastguards to ensure no person was in the water. Nothing was located and at 9.15 am the lifeboat was instructed to return to station by the coastguard.
The lifeboat returned to her station at Beaumaris by 9.45 am being refuelled and prepared for her next service call by 10.15 am. Whilst the lifeboat was out on this service those crew members left ashore then began to prepare the bonfire.
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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 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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