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Poole RNLI volunteers deal with yacht adrift and upturned life raft

Lifeboats News Release

A busy weekend for Poole RNLI volunteers saw them deal with a yacht adrift and an upturned life raft in separate incidents over the weekend.

RNLI/Poole

Poole volunteers approaching the yacht adrift
Poole inshore lifeboat launched Saturday (March 18) at 11:20am to reports of a vessel adrift in Holes Bay with one person onboard.

The person was working onboard the vessel when the mooring line accidentally became free. With no engine onboard and unable to get back to their tender due to lack of wind they made a call for help.

The D class inshore lifeboat was quickly on scene and found the vessel and one occupant in the shallows of Holes Bay.

The inshore lifeboat crew secured the vessel to a mooring close by and the person was returned to their tender which was in shallow water.

Poole Helm Dave Riley said: ‘The person thankfully had a means of calling for help and we were able to get to their location quickly before the tide dropped making the situation worse.’

The D class returned to station at 12pm.

On the second call of the weekend the lifeboat was tasked just after 10am Sunday (March 19) to locate and recover an upturned life raft. The life raft was in the channel east of Brownsea, by buoy 17, and had been spotted by a passing tripping boat.

As there was no evidence of people in the water or concerns from the coastguard, the lifeboat recovered the life raft and bought it back to Poole Harbour Commissioners where further investigations to where it has come from will be made.

The lifeboat returned to station and was made ready for service by 11:30am.
Poole RNLI volunteers have launched 13 times this year.

RNLI/Poole

Poole volunteers with the life raft onboard

RNLI/Poole

Poole Lifeboat with the life raft onboard

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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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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