Daybreak call for Lymington RNLI Volunteers
The school run and commute to work was interrupted for volunteer crew members of Lymington RNLI as they were called shortly after 8.05am on Friday 14 December to provide safety cover for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services (HFRS) personnel working aboard a Wightlink ferry with a reported fire aboard.
Launching into a cold easterly breeze, the crew aboard Atlantic 85 Inshore lifeboat (B-882) David Bradley turned, not downriver to the Solent but upriver to the affected vessel berthed within sight of the RNLI boathouse at the Lymington ferry terminal and outlined by a swath of flashing blue lights from multiple fire engines and ambulances.
In the fullness of time and with all Wightlink customers and crew disembarked safely and the engine room fire extinguished the incident response was scaled back allowing the Lymington lifeboat to return to station at 9.20am.
Further information about this incident may be available through Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service at:
www.hantsfire.gov.uk to whom all correspondence should be made.
Notice to Editors:
· For over 53 years, Lymington RNLI Lifeboat has provided search, rescue and lifesaving capability in the western Solent, Needles Channel and eastern sector of Christchurch Bay.
· HFRS Operating Policy is that whenever a call out involves their personnel operating in close proximity to the water and given the amount of heavy equipment and clothing worn then the lifeboat is called to provide safety cover.
RNLI Media Contacts:
- Peter Mills, Lymington RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer 07767 213583 [email protected]
- Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]
· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789 email: [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.
Learn more about the RNLI
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.