Porthdinllaen RNLI rescue paddle boarder off the Lleyn Peninsula
The volunteer crew of Porthdinllaen RNLI was requested to launch by UK Coastguard at Holyhead on Sunday evening after a call for help had been made by a paddle boarder that was being blown out to sea off Trefor on the Lleyn Peninsula.
The 999 call was made to Holyhead Coastguard by the Paddle boarder itself just after 8:40 pm on her mobile phone, who immediately paged the Porthdinllaen RNLI volunteers.
At 8:50 pm, the Tamar Class Lifeboat John D Spicer with a crew of six on board launched and made their way to Trefor, arriving on scene less than fifteen minutes later. A brief search was made and the lone paddle boarder was found having drifted over 1.5 miles from its original position. At the time, visibility was clear and there was a moderate offshore wind.
To assist in the recovery of the paddle board and its owner, two lifeboat crew members using the smaller onboard Y boat tender, were launched to assist in the recovery. With the casualty safely onboard and none the worse after her ordeal, the lifeboat made headway back towards Trefor Harbour, where the casualty was transferred to the care of the local Coastguard team.
The lifeboat returned to station and was refuelled and ready for service by 10:30pm.
Robert Jones, Second Coxswain at Porthdinllaen said: ‘We would always remind people whenever you venture out to sea, that you check the weather forecast and ensure that someone ashore is aware of your intentions and what time you intend to return. If you do ever see anyone in trouble on the coast please call 999 and ask for the Coast Guard’.
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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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