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Llandudno lifeboat rescues stranded boat and jet ski rider in double operation

Lifeboats News Release

On Friday 6 September, at 2.14pm, Llandudno's all-weather lifeboat launched to assist a 7m day boat in distress, about a mile north of Pigeon’s Cave near the Great Orme.

On arrival, the lifeboat crew, in consultation with HM Coastguard decided the safest course of action was to tow the stranded boat, due to its location and to avoid it becoming a hazard to navigation. The vessel was successfully towed to a waiting pontoon in Conwy.

During their return journey, as they navigated the Conwy channel, the crew spotted something unusual near the C10 buoy. On closer inspection, they discovered an upturned jet ski and its rider, who was clinging on to the watercraft and being swept out by the ebbing tide. The lifeboat crew swiftly secured the jet ski and rescued the individual, who informed them that they had been in the water for 45 minutes and were unable to call for help.

Recognising the urgency of the situation, the crew requested assistance from Conwy's inshore lifeboat. The Conwy lifeboat volunteers took over towing the jet ski, freeing up the Llandudno lifeboat to transport the casualty to shore as quickly as possible. The jet ski was later recovered at Beacons Jetty by its owner.

The William F Yates was officially stood down at 4.40pm, after ensuring that the casualty and jet ski were both safely recovered and handed over to the Llandudno Coastguard Team who had attended the earlier incident. The lifeboat returned to Llandudno’s North Shore by 5.18pm, where it was cleaned, refuelled, and made ready for future service.

Coxswain Graham Heritage says: ‘It just goes to show that you never truly know what you’re going to when the pager goes off. Anything can happen along the way and our crew need to be prepared for anything at any given time.’

RNLI/Luke Heritage

RNLI/Luke Heritage

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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