Barrow Lifeboat Rescues Three People from Stricken Speedboat
Barrow Lifeboat Station’s volunteer crew launched their inshore lifeboat this afternoon to go to the aid of a speedboat which had broken down off Piel Island.
The call for assistance came from the HM Coastguard base in Holyhead, just before 3-00 pm this afternoon. The information received was that a small speedboat, with three people on board, had broken down approximately 0.8 miles west of Piel Island. It was also reported that the boat was taking on water.
The crew was paged and the inshore lifeboat, ‘Vision of Tamworth’, was launched at 3-08 pm with Ben Jackson at the helm, assisted by Adam Cleasby and Phil Taylor. The lifeboat was at the scene within a few minutes and due to the rough sea conditions the three people on board the stricken boat, who were all wearing life jackets, had become extremely wet. They were transferred to the ‘Vision of Tamworth’ and taken back to the lifeboat station where their condition was assessed by waiting paramedics. In the meantime, the lifeboat returned to the speedboat and took it under tow back to Roa Island.
With the casualty vessel and crew safe, the lifeboat returned to the boathouse at 4-00 pm where it was washed down and made ready for the next launch.
The weather at the time of the incident was fine and clear. The wind was from the north-west, Force 6 – 7, and the high tide was at 3-54 pm with a height of 8.0 metres.
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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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