Weymouth RNLI Inshore lifeboat rescues stranded kayaker
Weymouth RNLI inshore lifeboat was on its regular Sunday morning training exercise, when a radio call came in from Solent Coastguard at 10.04 am requesting that they proceed to the Ferry Bridge area of Portland Harbour where the Coastguard had received calls stating that a kayaker was reported to be
The Kayaker had been in the water for an unknown amount of time before he had managed to climb onto a yacht moored some 100 metres from the shore.
Once on scene the volunteer lifeboat crew quickly spotted him on the yacht and took him aboard the lifeboat and transported him to Castle Cove Sailing Club. It was during this time that the crew learned that the kayaker had capsized whilst paddling against the strong counter current from Ferry Bridge and was lucky enough to be able to reach a vessel which he was able to get onto.
A third party had found the kayak and taken it to the Billy Winters area of Portland Harbour where the lifeboat later recovered it from.
They were back on exercise at 10.35am
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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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