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Three calls to action in one day for Lymington Lifeboat

Lifeboats News Release

Thursday 13 July was a busy day for Lymington Lifeboat and her volunteer crew, who attended three shouts including a person overboard.

Casualty being winched into helicopter from Lymington Lifeboat

RNLI/Joanna Styles

Casualty being winched into helicopter from Lymington Lifeboat

The first of three pager calls went out at 11.21am. It was in response to a report of a liferaft drifting in the area of Yarmouth in the Western Solent. The volunteer crew assembled and the lifeboat made its way to the given coordinates. Before the search could commence, the crew received an emergency second communication from HM Coastguard and diverted immediately east to a Mayday in the Central Solent.

The Mayday call was to a Folkboat sailing yacht with a person overboard near Calshot Spit. Calshot Inshore Lifeboat had also been requested to attend, along with rescue helicopter 175. The casualty had been picked out of the water by a passing rib, however the Coastguard asked the Lymington crew to assess the casualty's condition and advise on a course of action.

Lymington Lifeboat helm Phil Baker brought Lymington's Atlantic 85 lifeboat David Bradley alongside the rib and placed two crew members onboard to complete an assessment. The casualty had swallowed a lot of water, having been dragged by a rope behind the yacht and was clearly suffering from shock. An immediate evacuation by helicopter was requested. Calshot Lifeboat kept all vessels out of the winching area, while Lymington Lifeboat received a winchman from the helicopter. A further assessment confirmed the casualty needed immediate evacuation and he was winched up into the helicopter and taken to hospital.

'We practice formation winching exercises with HM Coastguard helicopters to ensure real life rescues run smoothly, as this one did. The casualty was assessed and extracted quickly and safely and we wish him a speedy recovery.' Phil stated.

Lymington and Calshot crews coordinated the recovery of the casualties belongings and Calshot Lifeboat accompanied the yacht into Cowes Yacht Haven.

Lymington lifeboat was then re-tasked to the search for the drifting liferaft, which was unsuccessful and the boat stood down after fours hours at sea. However, following another sighting of the liferaft casing, Lymington Lifeboat, now under the Helm of Greg Pachany, were able to locate and recover it later that afternoon.

'It is important to recover any safety equipment found drifting, especially a liferaft, as the serial number will enable the Coastguard to determine which vessel it came from and confirm they are safe.' commented Lifeboat Operations Manager Alistair Mackay. The lifeboat returned to the station, was refuelled and put back on service.

Crew (Shout 1 & 2): Phil Baker (Helm), Piers Horobin, Paul Harrison, Seb Pinkard (Area Lifesaving Manger)

Crew (Shout 3): Greg Pachany (Helm), Paul Harrison, Olly Janson

RNLI Contact details:

Jo Styles, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Lymington Lifeboat Station (07725) 640871 [email protected]

Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer, SE and London (07785) 296252 [email protected]

For enquiries outside normal business hours contact the RNLI duty press officer on (01202) 336789

RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.

Rescue helicopter receiving the casualty, seen from the Lifeboat

RNLI/Joanna Styles

Rescue helicopter receiving the casualty

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.

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