Busy day for Poole volunteers as they deal with multiple incidents
Poole Lifeboat was paged by UK Coastguard for an immediate launch at 11:26am (15 May) after receiving reports of a capsized sailing dinghy and two people in the water.
The lifeboat was quickly on scene east of Brownsea Island and located the upturned vessel with one person still on it. One person had been recovered onto a passing vessel.
The lifeboat crew took the one remaining person on board and towed the partially submerged vessel into a beach at Brownsea Island. From this point the crews managed to re-right the vessel and empty it if water before towing it back to Poole Yacht Club.
Helm James Kilburn said 'the two people in the water were wearing buoyancy aids so had the right kit on and thankfully some passing vessels put in the call for help'.
The lifeboat was re-fuelled and ready for service by 1:30pm.
The Poole volunteers were once again in action later that day (15 May) as the pagers sounded again at 11pm.
A 30ft cabin cruiser with 3 people on board had suffered a flat battery and was drifting between the Harbour entrance and Old Harry Rocks.
On arrival a crew member was put on board to help attach a tow and the vessel and 3 occupants were taken back to Poole Quay Boat Haven.
As they tied up alongside the lifeboat was re-tasked to its 3rd call in only a matter of hours as they went to a 45ft yacht aground just outside Cobbs Quay.
With the tide falling a crew member was swiftly put on board and the vessel towed clear.
The lifeboat was then re-fuelled and ready for service by 1:45am.
Helm Alex Evans said 'it's been a busy day for our volunteers as they've dealt with a capsized vessel, broken down boats and most recently one that has run aground. Our crews put in a lot of effort training for all these eventualities.'
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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