Burnham-on-Sea Lifeboat volunteers welcome training with Barry Dock volunteers
Very special moments captured this morning as we welcomed friends and colleagues from our flank station, Barry Dock, to Burnham-on-Sea with their new Shannon class All Weather Lifeboat ‘Richard and Caroline Colton II’
Both our D-Class and Atlantic 85 ILBs were launched to formally greet the visitors from Barry at the entrance to the main channel, before they welcomed Burnham volunteer crews and family members aboard, alongside the pontoons at Burnham-on-Sea Motor Boat and Sailing club.
The £2.78M Shannon class Lifeboat was welcomed into Barry Dock during the Spring of last year, already launching on service some 50 times since, with many more hours of crew training and assessments completed in that time.
Burnham Atlantic 85 helmsman Nathan Meager said; ‘This is the first time the new Shannon class lifeboat had visited Burnham so it was great to see her capabilities and train together. After tours of the Shannon on the sailing club pontoon, we conducted a towing exercise involving both boats taking it in turns, towing Barry Dock lifeboat in front of Burnham’s town beach. Once concluded we did some slow speed transfers with Burnham’s Atlantic class lifeboat. Slow speed transfers involve the smaller inshore boats coming alongside the bigger all weather boat while both boats are moving, which we use to create a stable platform to transfer crew and casualties between both boats.
A thoroughly good morning’s training and our thanks to the crew of Barry Dock as well as Burnham’s sailing club for the use of the pontoon.
Barry Dock’s Deputy Coxswain Hugh ‘Spud’ Davies added; ‘It was a fantastic opportunity to work alongside our colleagues at Burnham-on-Sea RNLI. Joint exercises like this are invaluable for strengthening teamwork and ensuring we’re all prepared to respond effectively when the call goes out. The warm welcome from the Burnham crew was greatly appreciated, and the training was both productive and enjoyable. We’re proud to share the same lifesaving mission and look forward to working together again in the future.’
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
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, X, TikTok 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.