Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat rescues eight divers

Lyme Regis lifeboat volunteer crew were tasked to assist the Coastguard with a stranded diving vessel with eight people aboard.

The volunteer crew were contacted by the Coastguard at 11.45am to assist a dive boat that had suffered power failure. The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat headed south from Lyme Regis for approximately 3 miles to the position of the stricken vessel. The crew set up a tow and returned the boat with the divers to the safety of Lyme Regis harbour.

Peter Glanvill, Chairman from The Lyme Bay Sub Aqua Club said “We enjoyed a fantastic dive photographing the marine life on the wreck ‘Heroine’ with club members and some divers visiting from Leicester but it was a tad embarrassing when the engine would not start! We are extremely grateful to the RNLI for arriving so promptly and towing us back to Lyme.”

Lifeboat helm Tom Wallis said: 'The crew were very proficient which enabled a quick recovery for the divers and their boat”

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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