Incidents at either end of the Menai Strait means a busy time for the volunteers
On Friday 7 August 2020 at the request of the U.K. Coastguard at Holyhead the volunteer crew of the Beaumaris received a page for the crew to assemble in case a launch would be required for an incident in the Caernarfon area.
The Beaumaris Atlantic 85 lifeboat Annette Mary Liddington launched at 2.40 pm and proceeded down the Menai Strait towards Caernarfon.
The coastguard had received a report that two adults had fallen out of a six metre rigid inflatable boat and whilst they had been recovered by another vessel. The engine of their boat had not been stopped and it was now manoeuvring out of control.
It would be a very difficult manoeuvre for the lifeboat to board the runaway vessel and stop the engine. Fortunately in this instance by the time the lifeboat volunteers arrived the craft had run out of fuel and stopped.
The original crew of the boat had now re-boarded and begun to refill the fuel tank. The lifeboat crew provided advice regarding the use of the “kill cord” which would mean that the engine would automatically cut out if the driver of the boat fell overboard.
The talk had to be discontinued when at 3.15 pm a report was received that a solo kayaker had capsized by Puffin Sound and was unable to re-enter the kayak.
As this was at the other end of the Menai Strait it would take the lifeboat a while to reach the scene so the Coastguard also requested the Rescue Helicopter to attend
The lifeboat arrived at the scene just after the casualty had been winched aboard the helicopter. Whilst he was taken ashore the lifeboat collected the inflatable kayak and took it to Penmon beach and the waiting Penmon mobile coastguard rescue team together with the kayaker.
The lifeboat returned to her station at Beaumaris by 4.10 pm being refuelled and prepared for her next service call by 4.40 pm.
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