
West Kirby RNLI launch following concerns for a wing foiler
West Kirby RNLI was tasked by HM Coastguard to reports of a wing foiler in difficulty, with the callout marking the first time husband and wife duo< Chris and Lindsay Gatenby, launched on the lifeboat together.
At 1.07pm, both West Kirby RNLI lifeboat volunteers and RNLI lifeguards were tasked with a search and rescue for an individual in difficulty whilst wing foiling. Within ten minutes of the request, the volunteer lifeboat crew had left the station and were ready to launch the inshore lifeboat on Sandy Lane slipway by 1.19pm.
Upon the lifeboat crew arriving at the launch site, the individual reported as being in difficulty had been located by the RNLI lifeguards and was in the process of being safely assisted back to shore. Consequently, the lifeboat crew remained at the water’s edge to provide assistance if needed.
At this point, a member of the public provided fresh information of an additional wing foiler in the water in difficulty. After relaying this information to the Coastguard, they requested the lifeboat crew conduct a welfare check on the individual.
With a high 9.4m tide which was about to start ebbing, coupled with wind gusts, the force of the water was strong and could quickly make the conditions precarious.
The wing foiler confirmed he was returning to shore and the lifeboat crew stayed alongside him until he was safely on dry land. The lifeboat volunteers then returned to the station to wash down and refuel the D class lifeboat, which was ready for service by 2.15pm.
Andy Brown, West Kirby RNLI Launch Authority, said:
‘We’d like to say a big thank you to Wirral Council and the members of the public who did exactly the right thing in notifying us that the individuals were potentially in danger.
‘The sooner we are notified, the greater the chance of a positive outcome, so we always encourage anybody who suspects that someone in the water is in difficulty to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. We are here and happy to help.’
Today’s shout was also significant as it marked the first time husband and wife, Chris and Lindsay Gatenby, were out on a callout on the lifeboat together.
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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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