RNLI lifeboat called out to stranded vessel
Volunteers from the Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Station were called out when a motor cruiser ran aground in the Ribble Estuary
Reports by the public to the HM Coastguard of a motor cruiser aground on the south bank of the Ribble opposite Lytham on Wednesday evening 10 April 2019 resulted in the Lytham St Annes inshore lifeboat D-800, MOAM being called out to check on the safety of the occupants. The Coastguard had been unable to make contact with the two people on board and concern was being shown for their welfare, it being 8½ hours to the next high water in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The charity’s inshore lifeboat was launched at Church Scar opposite Seafield Road under the command of Helmsman Vinny Pedley and made her way across the channel to the nearest point on the south bank to the stranded casualty. Two crew members were landed ashore to walk the 250 metres through mud then sand to the vessel. The two occupants were found to be perfectly alright and in good spirits being happy to sit out on board until the vessel refloated at the next high water. They had not been listening to their radio so were unaware of the Coastguard’s concern for their safety. The lifeboat call out was therefore classed as a false alarm with good intent.
The lifeboat collected her two crew members from the south bank and was recovered and returned to her boathouse for 7.48pm to be refuelled and washed down in readiness for her next call out.
Volunteer crew member Felix Lillyman said, “They were very experienced sailors and had done everything correctly. They had lights, food, lifejackets and had laid out an anchor in preparation for when the tide began to flood in. They were perfectly happy to sit on the boat and wait until she refloated.”
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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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