St Helier RNLI volunteer crew rescue man overboard at sea
On Sunday 10 September both lifeboats at St Helier RNLI lifeboat station were called out just after 11am in response to a report of a man overboard.
The Jersey Coastguard had received an urgent call at 11am from the crew of a 6m sailing yacht who reported that one of their crewmembers had gone over the side and they'd lost all contact with him.
As a result the St Helier all-weather lifeboat, George Sullivan, was requested immediately and was followed soon after by a second request for the inshore lifeboat, David Page, to attend also.
Attempts to contact the sailing yacht by radio and a Mayday broadcast to all vessels in the area received no reply so the two lifeboats headed towards the yacht, some two miles south-east of St Helier.
Fortunately, though the force 5 winds were creating a moderate swell, the weather was fair and visibility was good. As the all-weather lifeboat crew began a search en route to the yacht, a waving figure was spotted in the water wearing a dark wetsuit and buoyancy aid, some 30m off the lifeboat's track.
The casualty was quickly brought aboard the all-weather lifeboat and the inshore lifeboat was stood down. Having checked that all was well with the casualty, who was uninjured, and the yacht, the lifeboat crew then brought the casualty back to St Helier.
Both lifeboats were back at the station at 12pm, where they were made ready for their next call out.
RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Jonathan Lee, St Helier Lifeboat Press Officer, on 07829 865500 or by emailing [email protected].
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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