New Brighton volunteers launched Monday 1 June 7.05pm to a report of a small boat adrift in the river Mersey near to Egremont.
RNLI New Brighton launch to a report of a small boat adrift in the river Mersey near to Egremont.
The volunteer crew were tasked by UK Coastguard to a report of a small boat that had apparently broken free from its moorings and was floating adrift in the Mersey. The lifeboat launched immediately and headed to the location that the small boat was initially reported. After a search of the river the crew located the boat which was in a poor state of repair and was also taking on water.
Due to the size of the boat the crew were able to take it on board the lifeboat and remove it from the river to the safety of the shore before being handed over to the Coastguard.
Mark Dyer, Deputy Launching Authority, said: ‘The crew launched and quickly identified the empty vessel. A further search was carried out to make sure there were no persons in the water and the boat was handed over for the attention of the Coastguard at the shore. Despite the size of the boat this could have caused damage to other vessels using the river and was removed by the crew without further incident.’
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.
