Good weather keeps Rhyl RNLI volunteers busy

The calls started at 7.30pm on Friday when the inshore lifeboat crew were paged to assist people stuck on a sandbank by the incoming tide off the Pavilion theatre. As the crew were assembling, it was seen that the people had managed to wade ashore and all was well, so the crew were stood down.
On the evening of Saturday 3 June, at 5.12pm, just as the crew were having a barbeque for crew member Colin Jones' birthday, the pagers sounded for the all-weather lifeboat to launch to assist a person on a windfarm support vessel with medical issues. The inshore lifeboat also launched to this incident, but was diverted by the UK coastguard co-ordinating centre at Holyhead, to reports of children being taken out to see on an inflatable off the Nova Centre, Prestatyn. The coastguard informed the crew all were safe again, and the inshore lifeboat returned to Rhyl to assist the lifeboat if necessary. In the meantime, the medical issue on the casualty was resolved and so both boats returned to station by 6.60pm, just in time to finish off the barbeque food!
Both boats were again in action on Sunday 4 June at 1.05pm, to go to reports of a small dinghy a far way out off Pensarn beach. On arrival on scene, the boats could not see anything but a local sewer outfall buoy. After a search of the area, it was decided that the first informant had seen this buoy and mistaken it for a dinghy. The lifeboats returned at 2.45pm.
Coxswain Martin Jones said 'We are glad no-one got into trouble on these call-outs. It is far better to call 999 and ask for the coastguard if you think anyone is in difficulty at sea'.

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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