Both Exmouth lifeboats search following concern for person in water
Inshore lifeboat George Bearman II and Shannon class lifeboat R and J Welburn launched on the evening of 11 June following a 999 call to the Coastguard.
The call was made from a member of the public who thought they had seen a person in the water, waving their arm in the air for help, east of the lifeboat station.
D class lifeboat George Bearman II launched first at 8.05pm and within 15 minutes, found a pink lilo a mile south east of the lifeboat station. At this point, Shannon class lifeboat R and J Welburn launched at 8.20pm but both were stood down, the Shannon at 9.16pm and D class lifeboat at 9.32pm after no further sightings.
Exmouth Coastguard team also assisted from the shore. Both lifeboats were ready for service again by 9.45pm.
Coxswain, Steve Hockings-Thompson said:
‘Following the discovery of the inflatable, our Crew volunteers on both lifeboats conducted search patterns for over an hour, advised by the UK Coastguard. There was a concern that somebody had drifted offshore and was difficulty. We had on board a thermal imaging device which members of the community had kindly donated recently, so if there was anyone in the water, we would have spotted them.’
Notes to Editors (credit: Exmouth RNLI)
Photos: PR120618 Inshore lifeboat George Bearman II being recovered with the recovery of Shannon class lifeboat R and J Welburn in the background.
For more information please telephone Emma Tarling, Exmouth RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07837 810082 or email: [email protected].
Alternatively, you can contact the RNLI Duty Press Officer on 01202 336789
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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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