Poole Lifeboats were out on the water supporting the Blue Boar raft race as safety cover today as the rafts battled it out between the Quays (Monday 1 January)
As the competitors had finished the race and were heading back with their rafts a strong ebb tide had swept one raft against the yellow passengers boats, it had pressed the raft in-between the pleasure boats, pinning it against them.
Four people had been on the raft, as the inshore lifeboat arrived on scene, they found one person holding onto a mooring line and two underneath and between the passenger boats, the fourth person was making his way ashore, swept along by the strong tide.
The Atlantic lifeboat took up position downstream as back up and the crew on the inshore lifeboat hauled one person out of the water on board the boat and then manoeuvred to assist the other two out of the water.
The rafters were none the worse for their adventure, the lifeboat crew took them back ashore. Meanwhile, the crew of the lifeboat fixed up a tow line to secure the raft and took it back past the Lifeboat Station between the bridges.
Volunteer Helmsman Dave Riley said;
‘There was a fair few spectators out on the Quay, it’s a great Poole tradition and the weather dried up just at the right time. It was good to see the race competitors wearing buoyancy aids and heeding the safety guidelines. The strong ebb tide caused problems for a few after the race, we can never underestimate the constantly changing tides’.
This was the first call out for the Poole crew for 2018.
RNLI/Anne-Marie Clark
The inshore lifeboat approaching one of the people in the water
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.
