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Swanage lifeboats launch on Mothering Sunday for the 4th callout of 2023

Swanage lifeboats launch on Mothering Sunday for the 4th callout of 2023

Lifeboats News Release

Sunday 19 March 2023

The volunteers at Swanage Lifeboat Station were tasked to assist a motor cruiser 30 miles from Swanage that had suffered engine failure in the shipping lane.

Swanage ALB putting the casualty vessel alongside.

The lifeboat arrived alongside just under an hour after launching and took the stricken vessel under tow to Poole. The crew onboard the vessel were well prepared but it was not possible to fix the issue at sea.

The vessels made slow progress in a rolling swell and part way through the journey one of the crew on the casualty vessel became unwell suffering from the cold and seasickness. With concern that the casualty's condition was worsening, it was decided to bring the casualty ashore. As the lifeboat and the vessel under two neared Swanage Bay, the inshore lifeboat launched to take the casualty ashore to an ambulance to be assessed.

With the unwell casualty in the care of the ambulance service, the all-weather lifeboat continued the tow to Poole and the inshore lifeboat returned to station. The motor cruiser was put alongside in Poole by the all-weather lifeboat before the volunteers were freed to return to station. The crew on the all-weather lifeboat had been at sea for just over seven hours and were able to be delivered some pizzas dockside, before the lifeboat returned to Swanage.

Our thanks to our colleagues at HM Coastguard who were on hand to receive the casualty taken off the vessel in Swanage and to receive the casualty vessel in Poole.

ALB Crew - Rob Aggas (Coxswain), Gavin Steeden, Matt Steeden, Ant Corben, Ben, Jarvis, Fergus Holley

ILB Crew - Becky Mack (Helm), Phil Palmer, Alan Parmenter

Notes to Editors

Photograph of Swanage all-weather lifeboat bringing the casualty vessel alongside. Credit Matt Thomas

RNLI media contacts

For more information please telephone Becky Mack, Swanage RNLI Volunteer Press Officer on 07812 558487 or at [email protected]

Swanage ALB launching to the rescue just after 11am

Crew member receiving a pizza delivery after 7 hours at sea.

Casualty vessel alongside the Swanage RNLI ALB

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.

Becky Mack

Lifeboat Press Officer, Swanage Lifeboat Station

Swanage lifeboats launch on Mothering Sunday for the 4th callout of 2023

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