Yarmouth RNLI respond to a late night MayDay
Yarmouth’s Severn class all weather lifeboat, 'Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)', was tasked to launch by HM Coastguard on Sunday 26 July 2020 at 11.47pm to a rib, with seven persons on board, aground at the mouth of Lymington River.
Yarmouth RNLI’s volunteer crew headed north out of Yarmouth harbour towards the mainland shore where they quickly located a rib that had gone aground. The casualty vessel was on the marshes to east of the mouth of Lymington river, because of the proximity to the shore, the RNLI deployed their ‘Y’ boat in order to assess the situation.
This quickly became a multi agency rescue operation involving Lymington Coast Guard Rescue Team, Hampshire Police, SAR 175 helicopter and the ambulance service. Having established that one of the persons on board required medical assistance and the remaining six would need to be taken ashore before the vessel could be recovered, Yarmouth RNLI requested HM Coastguard to provide back up with Lymington Inshore Lifeboat. Six of the casualties, shaken and suffering from the cold were taken ashore, a seventh person with a back injury was airlifted by SAR 175 and transferred to an awaiting ambulance.
The rib was jointly recovered from the marshes by Yarmouth and Lymington RNLI and towed back to Lymington by the inshore lifeboat.
Yarmouth lifeboat returned to harbour and was ready for service by 3.45am.
The RNLI remains an independent charity that relies on voluntary contributions to fund its lifesaving work.
Media contacts:
Teresa Fox, volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Yarmouth Lifeboat Station [email protected] 07976 731906
Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer SE and London [email protected]
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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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