Broken down cruiser towed to safety
Chiswick Lifeboat was requested to launch at 15.06 on Sunday afternoon, 26 May to a report of a motor vessel drifting near Kew.
The lifeboat arrived by Oliver’s Ait at 15.11 to find an umpire’s launch holding a tow to a small motor cruiser with 6 persons on board. The lifeboat took over the tow and manoeuvred the cruiser to the PLA pontoon opposite Strand-on-the-Green.
The boat’s owner had arranged for a friend from Richmond to give him a tow, so with all on board safe, the lifeboat returned to the station.
Helmsman Andy Mayo said ‘The owner told us that the vessel had run aground while avoiding rowers in the middle of the river; as a result his prop was damaged and so he lost control of the vessel. He was able to call for assistance and we arrived on scene within 5 minutes ensuring that the situation did not become more serious’
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.
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- David Clarke RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Chiswick), 07951 210500 [email protected]
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- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
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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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