Burnham-on-Sea RNLI volunteers paged for missing person search.

Burnham-on-Sea’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat Doris Day and Brian, was quickly launched, closely followed by the Burnham’s D class lifeboat Burnham Reach. The launch was around 3 hours before low water, and use of the D class potentially enhanced the ability to search in low water closer to the shore.

Also paged, had been the Weston-super-mare D class lifeboat, and searches were conducted along the coast between Brean Down towards Birnbeck Island. All crews were stood down after police on shore had located the casualty, safe and well. Both Burnham lifeboats were stood down, returning to Burnham slipway for recovery, wash-down and refuelling by the shore crew team.

Duty Launch Authority, Nigel Morton said: ‘Having been tasked by the Coastguard Co-ordination centre to assist in the search for a missing person in the vicinity of Brean Down, we launched both our Atlantic 85 and D class. The Atlantic has the better wide area search ability, and the D is able to get closer inshore. Both boats together give us more crew for the visual search which is always essential. In this case, as always, it was good to hear that the missing individual was safely located.’

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

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 2004.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.

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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.