Young rowers rescued after capsize
At 15.05 on Wednesday 8 May Chiswick RNLI lifeboat launched after the coastguard reported a capsized ‘eight’ by Chiswick Eyot.
The lifeboat crew arrived 90 seconds after leaving Chiswick Pier to find the young rowers clinging to the hull of the upturned vessel which was being swept along by a strong flooding tide. Two coaches launches were on scene. Four of the rowers managed to get on board the coaches’ launches before being transferred to the lifeboat, the other five (including the cox) were pulled out of the water by the lifeboat crew. They were all given blankets and taken back in the lifeboat to their base in Putney.
RNLI helmsman Andy Mayo commented ‘As the incident was close to the station we reached the rowers in the water before the situation deteriorated. We gave them blankets to stop them getting any colder and returned them to their base, unharmed and in good spirits.’
Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended over 3,500 incidents and rescued over 1,750 people, and dozens of dogs. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.
RNLI media contacts
- David Clarke RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Chiswick), 07951 210500 [email protected]
- Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207416, 07786 668825, [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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
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