
Beaumaris Lifeboat volunteers receive two tasking requests on the same day
At 3.06 pm on Monday 3 February 2025 the volunteer crew members of the Beaumaris lifeboat received a page from the U.K. Coastguard relating to two kayakers possibly in distress. At 9.59 pm another page received relating to an automatic distress beacon.
In the first service call the lifeboat volunteers launched at 3.12 pm and proceeded to the location given, of Ynys Faenol it transpired that one kayaker was out of his craft but had managed to make his own way ashore. The other kayaker was able to remain in his kayak and made his way to the shore. The lifeboat therefore recovered the unmanned kayak as it was a navigation hazard returning it to the Bangor Mobile Coastguard team who had met the kayakers ashore.
Once this had been completed the lifeboat was released by the coastguard to return to her station.at Beaumaris returning at 4.00 pm be refuelled and cleaned. Once this had been completed the crew left the station.
At 9.59 pm the volunteer crew received a further page following a report that an EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon) had been activated with a radius of 20 nautical miles of Menai Bridge. In view of the poor weather conditions, it was decided that for safety reasons the lifeboat should remain on immediate readiness rather than launch immediately pending further enquires by the Coastguard.
At 10.31 pm the lifeboat was stood down, as the coastguard had resolved the situation.
A RNLI spokesman said: ‘The member of the public who reported the kayakers being in apparent difficulty did exactly the correct thing in alerting the Coastguard to the predicament. This meant our volunteer lifeboat crew were able to reach the casualty quickly, assess the situation and take the best course of action to prevent the situation worsening. We would always advise checking the weather forecast before going afloat’.’
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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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