Port St Mary RNLI launch to reports of kayaks in difficulty
At 7.17pm this evening (Monday 30th August), Belfast Coastguard paged the volunteer crew of Port St Mary RNLI after receiving reports from a passer-by, that 2 kayaks were in difficulty at the back of Sugarloaf Rock, off the southwest coast of the island.
Port St Mary RNLI’s inshore lifeboat Spirit of Leicester was launched at 7:30pm under the command of Helm Richard Leigh, soon followed by the all-weather relief Trent class lifeboat Dora Foster McDougall, Coxswained by Michael Keggen.
With a light north-westerly wind and slight seas, both lifeboats proceeded to the area around Sugarloaf Rock, where they located the 2 kayaks, each with 2 persons onboard.
After establishing that the 4 people onboard were safe and well, and that they were not in fact in difficulty, both lifeboats returned to Port St Mary and were ready for service again by 7:55pm.
Helm of the inshore lifeboat Richard Leigh said ‘Although this time it was a false alarm with good intent, we wish to thank the passer-by for raising their concerns, and if you ever see anyone in difficulty then please call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.’
Lifeboat Operations Manager Sarah Keggen, went on to say ‘Even as we approach the end of the summer it is important to remember to wear a lifejacket at all times when on the water, and to take a form of communication with you.’
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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