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A busy weekend for Burnham-on-Sea RNLI volunteer crews

Lifeboats News Release

A busy weekend for Burnham RNLI volunteer crews as two emergency shouts come in involving 3 launches on service.

Library image of AtlanticLibrary image D class lifeboat 'Burnham Reach' being prepared for launch

RNLI/Mike Lang

Library image D class lifeboat 'Burnham Reach' being prepared for launch

First incident: Just before 9.30pm on Friday 15 November we were paged by HM Coastguard at Milford Haven, after concern for someone in the River Parrett at Bridgwater, with Burnham’s D-class lifeboat Burnham Reach being quickly launched on service.

Helmsman Marc Smith explains: ‘Once on the water we confirmed tasking with Milford and proceeded to the location. As we approached the mouth of the Brue at Burnham Sailing club we were hit a thick wall of fog, therefore commenced preparing a navigation plan up the Parrett. Whilst we were planning our route, Milford informed us the police had recovered the person and stood us down.

We returned to the the slipway for recovery to the Lifeboat Station and a quick wash down. It should be noted that thick fog and temperatures had just hit zero as we launched….

’Incident two: Separately, just after 7.30pm on Saturday evening crew pagers sounded once again with reports of a yacht aground at the mouth of the River Brue, on a dropping tide.

Our Atlantic 85 was on the water within fifteen minutes and on scene with the casualty vessel thereafter.

With the yacht’s skipper well prepared and plenty of provisions onboard, the decision was made to bring the other sailors ashore for the night while we assembled a crew for the early morning recovery plan.

By first light this morning (Sunday), the recovery plan was well under way with the casualty vessel towed safely back to Burnham Sailing club pontoons. It should be noted that it was Helmsman Martins’s first shout as a helm, and Crewmember Julie’s first launch on a shout.

Both good outcomes and glad to be of assistance, as we’ve reported before - sailing here on our estuary is often not without challenges - be it mud, tide or the weather conditions as elsewhere, but in this instance with the darker nights low visibility also played its part and the skipper did exactly the right thing by calling it in with the Coastguard.

If you’re in (or see) danger on our coastline, please don’t hesitate to dial 999 and ‘Ask for the Coastguard.’

RNLI Lifeboats at Burnham-on-Sea

A 8.5m Atlantic 85 named Doris Day and Brian plus a smaller 4.95m D class IB1 inflatable named Burnham Reach The station was opened officially on 15th May 2004, but has been operational since December 2003

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact Mike Lang, volunteer lifeboat press officer at Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat Station on 07889 815860 or Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789


Library image of Atlantic 85 Doris 'Day and Brian' being taken to te beach pre-launch

RNLI/Mike Lang

Library image of Atlantic 85 Doris 'Day and Brian' being taken to te beach pre-launch
Atlantic 85 lifeboat and tractor being washed down on Saturday evening

RNLI/Dave Whatley

Atlantic 85 lifeboat and tractor being washed down on Saturday evening

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.

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