Lymington RNLI lifeboat crew save two persons from a sinking RIB.
Having just returned from the first shout of what was to be a busy afternoon, the volunteer crew of the Lymington RNLI Atlantic 85 Lifeboat (B-882) David Bradley where tasked to attend a second Mayday call.
On arrival off the Beaulieu shoreline, the lifeboat crew found a Hamble based 6.85m RIB with two persons aboard that had suffered mechanical failure and flooding after being overcome by high seas.
With only its console showing above the water such was the eagerness of one of the two lifejacket clad occupants to leave the sinking ship that they threw themselves at the lifeboat without waiting for instructions and in so doing sustained a minor head injury further complicating the rescue.
Lymington lifeboat took the casualty and other occupant to the Beaulieu River Marina into the care of a waiting ambulance crew.
The lifeboat then returned to the Solent to recover the flooded craft. With the wind now risen to South Westerly Force 7 / 8 with the spring tide ebb running to the West creating 2m high seas at the incident location, the Yarmouth all-weather Severn Class lifeboat (17-25) Eric & Susan Hiscock (Wanderer) was requested to assist with its high capacity salvage pump.
Once the RiB had been pumped out, the Lymington RNLI crew towed it up the Beaulieu river into the care of the Harbour Master.
Lymington lifeboat returned to station shortly after 6.00pm having been at sea for four and half hours.
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.
· The RNLI Lifeboat Station open days will be on: Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 August 2018 coinciding with the local food festival being held on the adjacent Bath Road Park.
· The annual fundraising BarBQ on the Green (almost adjacent to the boathouse) with ‘Zac and the Zeroes’ will be on Saturday 18 August commencing at 5.30pm. Please support us.
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: [email protected]
· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789 email: pressoffice@rnli.org
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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