Three North-East Wales RNLI lifeboats launch following distress radio message.

The UK Coastguard at Holyhead, received a message on the marine distress and calling channel, reporting a boat with four people on board, taking water and sinking off Rhyl. No precise location was given by the radio message, and so lifeboats were launched to investigate an area between Rhos-on-Sea and Talacre. The Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarvon was also tasked to search the same area. Also, local coastguard volunteers from Flint and Rhyl were tasked to search the shoreline of the same area.

Local launching sites in the area were contacted, to see if any vessels had been launched that morning, but the reply was negative.

The search was continued over a wide area with nothing being sighted. After three hours of searching, and no further messages being heard, the coastguard paused the search until further information was forthcoming. The lifeboats returned to Rhyl at 2.45pm, and Flint lifeboat was taken back home by road trailer.

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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