St Helier inshore lifeboat launches to assist in search for missing swimmer

At approximately 09.30am on Thursday morning, Jersey Coastguard were contacted by a member of the public who was concerned for the welfare of a swimmer in St Brelade's Bay. The concerned caller had seen two persons entering the water but only one returning.

The St Helier inshore lifeboat was launched to work with a number of other assets, including the Fire & Rescue Service inshore lifeboat and Channel Islands Air Search which, together with the St Helier lifeboat, covered the coastal areas. In addition, Jersey Police were tasked with conducting a landside search. After an extensive search lasting approximately 90 minutes, all of the search & rescue assets were stood down when it was felt that the search area had been saturated with no casualty having been found.

However, shortly after being stood down, one of the land-based search teams reported that they had found a car with keys and clothing inside the Winston Churchill Park at St Brelade's Bay and, as a precautionary measure, the search was then recommenced by the St Helier lifeboat and Channel Islands Air Search. The car owner was subsequently contacted shortly before midday and so all assets were stood down for a second time.

The lifeboat returned to the St Helier lifeboat station where it was readied for its next service.

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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