A surprise call for Port Talbot volunteers

Port Talbot inshore lifeboat was soon on scene and found a tangled mass of debris. The debris consisted of three very large birthday balloons tangled up with some branches of wood. The alarm had been raised by a member of the local steelworks who had spotted the objects in the water around a quarter of a mile off shore.

The volunteer crew took the objects on board the lifeboat and returned to station and the items were handed over to the local council workers for disposal.

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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.