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Hartlepool RNLI assist 5 people in a dinghy on the River Tees

Lifeboats News Release

Hartlepool RNLI volunteers were paged at 4.43pm on Sunday 31st May by Humber Coastguard to assist five persons in a small dinghy that were in difficulty near the South Gare area on the River Tees.

RNLI/Tom Collins

Hartlepool RNLI inshore lifeboat leaving the Ferry Road lifeboat station to deal with the incident near the South Gare.
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The inshore lifeboat with four volunteer crew members launched at 5.00pm and arrived at the scene of the incident 8 minutes later to find that a local pilot boat had taken the dinghy under tow.
The tow was passed to the inshore lifeboat who then took four of the people from the casualty vessel onto the ilb and towed the vessel to Paddys Hole on the River Tees where the local coastguard team and police were waiting to offer some safety advice to the people from the dinghy.
The ilb returned to the Ferry Road boathouse at 5.50pm and was refuelled and made ready for service by 6.20pm.
Deputy Launch Authority Steve Pounder said ‘A quick response from the volunteer crew and assistance from the pilot boat brought the incident to a safe conclusion'.

The sea state was slight with a east to north easterly wind.

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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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About the author

Tom Collins
Lifeboat Press Officer, Hartlepool Lifeboat Station

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