
Barry Dock RNLI’s Shannon class lifeboat launches on service for the first time
After bidding farewell to their Trent class all-weather lifeboat, Barry Dock's new Shannon class lifeboat attended her very first call out.
After waving goodbye to Barry Dock RNLI’s Trent class all-weather lifeboat, Inner Wheel II, last Sunday, the new Shannon class lifeboat, the Richard and Caroline Colton II, had its first call out.
On Wednesday 19 June at 7am, the Richard and Caroline Colton II, Shannon class all-weather lifeboat was tasked by Milford Haven Coastguard along with Barry Dock's D-class inshore lifeboat and Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 187 to search for a swimmer reported to be in distress off the local headland of Nells Point. With the outgoing tide, the search pattern soon extended to five miles west, due to the strong currents of the Bristol Channel, being the second highest tidal range in the world.
Launching the state-of-the-art £2.2m lifeboat with six volunteer crew members on board, Andy Gavan, Barry Dock RNLI’s full-time Coxswain said:
'A person onshore reported the distressed swimmer but was soon out of sight due to the fast flow of the outgoing tide. Coastguard teams also onshore struggled to locate the casualty. With myself at the helm of the D-Class inshore lifeboat we soon located three swimmers in the Old Harbour who had swum from Jackson’s Bay, a distance of nearly two miles. After further extensive searching it was confirmed with the Milford Haven Coastguard that the reported sighting would have been those swimmers. It was a call with a good intent.
'Spud Davies, was the coxswain on-board our new Shannon, they were immediately re-tasked to a second shout of a yacht that had run aground off Llantwit Major beach. With the casualties on board safe and well and the yacht high and dry with an outgoing tide, no further action could be taken by the volunteer lifeboat crew who returned to station to make ready the Shannon for its next service call. This was a great multi-agency tasking and the first two under the belt for Richard and Caroline Colton II.'
Ian Watts volunteer crew member for 17 years was onboard during the first shout of the Shannon said. He said:
'I have been very fortunate to be involved in the first shout on the D-class and now the Shannon Class as well as the last shout on the Trent class. During the last call out on the Trent there were lots of emotions running as we knew this was the last time she would be used as a fully capable search and rescue asset for Barry Dock. While in the distance we could all see the future of life saving at Barry Dock carrying out crew pass outs, knowing we are going to be in capable hands.'
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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