Estuary Services Ltd comes to the aid of Santa and Ramsgate RNLI
Ramsgate RNLI would like to thank everyone who came to support the RNLI and Ramsgate Illuminations Monday evening.
This is the tenth year of the Ramsgate Illuminations, an annual event supported by the boats and local businesses around Ramsgate Royal Harbour to raise funds for Ramsgate RNLI.
The first year there was only five boats taking part but it has since grown in support.
Pre - Covid the most boats lit up were seventy nine but the quantity and quality of lights onboard has increased so the sixty seven boats and twelve local businesses lit up this year produced a much brighter overall display.
This year things took a different turn when Estuary Services Ltd came to the aid of the RNLI.
Due to a lower than usual neap tide, the Harbour was unable to open the lock gate into the inner Harbour. This meant that the decorated Lifeboat was unable to bring Santa into the Harbour.
Thankfully our friends from Estuary Services Ltd stepped in to help at the last moment and were able to provide a Pilot Boat for Santa and the volunteer RNLI crew to ride on.
So accompanied by Christmas carols they were able to tour the Harbour with Santa onboard bringing smiles to the waiting crowds who had braved the rain.
This event is supported by Ramsgate Town Team, Ramsgate Town Council, Visit Ramsgate and the Royal Temple Yacht Club Ramsgate who organise the event.
Coxswain Ian Cannon said, ‘ We are so grateful to our volunteer crew who work on the Pilot boats as well as their employer Estuary Services Ltd for allowing us to use the Pilot boats at such short notice. We could not allow the Lifeboat to be shut into the inner harbour as it was on service, and we didn’t want to disappoint the children who had come to see Santa so it was the perfect solution to our problem.’
Karen Cox Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer Tel. 07779848431 Email [email protected].
Hatti Mellor National Media Manager Tel.07724801305 Email [email protected]
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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