Early morning calls for Poole volunteers starts off Bank Holiday weekend
Poole lifeboat launched early this morning (Saturday August 29) at 4am to reports of a person in the water near Bournemouth Pier.
As the lifeboat proceeded Coastguards and Police were on shore conducting a search of the area. The lifeboat arrived on scene and started conducting a search of the area around Bournemouth Pier, conditions were calm but with no moonlight it was very dark.
A police officer on the pier soon spotted the casualty in the water and alerted the lifeboat crew to the location. The person was quickly recovered by the lifeboat crew and taken ashore to a waiting ambulance.
The lifeboat then returned to station and was refuelled and washed down by 05.30am
As the volunteers were catching up on some sleep the pagers rang out again at 7am. The lifeboat was requested to launch to a 26ft yacht with two people onboard in Studland Bay. As they recovered their anchor from an overnight stop they suffered engine failure, however, the wind had soon blown them aground.
The lifeboat arrived on scene and one crew member waded in with a line to attach to the yacht. The vessel and two occupants were towed back to a mooring in Shell Bay.
The volunteers had missed breakfast due to the mornings calls and bacon sandwiches were kindly supplied by The Fisherman’s Café. The lifeboat, and the crew, were refuelled and ready for service by 9am.
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.