Abersoch RNLI volunteer crew tasked to drifting powerboat.
The pager went off at 12.10pm yesterday, Tuesday 2 August 2022 following a request from HM Coastguard to assist a drifting motor vessel and reports of three people in water.
The 16-foot Chaparral powerboat had been anchored off Abersoch Main Beach the previous evening and during the night with strong winds it had broken free of its anchor and had drifted to Llanbedrog headland.
On arrival at the scene at 12.25pm the volunteer crew found three people in the water who were attempting to retrieve the vessel after they had become aware it had gone adrift from where they had left it anchored the previous evening. They were not wearing lifejackets. No first aid was required and all three were safely returned to the shore whilst the Lifeboat attended to the vessel. The volunteer crew were able to tow the vessel off the rocks and safely beach it on the sand for the owners to recover.
The lifeboat returned to the station at 1.15pm where it was then thoroughly washed down, refuelled and left ready for service.
Wyn Jones, Abersoch volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager said, ‘We would always recommend that people check the weather forecast and tides before leaving any vessel at anchor’. He added, ‘When entering the water, we advise wearing a suitable lifejacket or buoyancy at all times’.
If you do get into difficulty, or spot someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
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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