Lost radio returned to Hunstanton RNLI still working after 10 weeks in river
A radio lost on a lifeboat rescue was found washed up in a tidal river nearly 30 miles inland weeks after the drama happened.
The walkie talkie went missing during a major operation on the River Ouse in King's Lynn in the early hours of 8 July, in which volunteers from Hunstanton RNLI rescued four people along with numerous dogs, cats and other animals from a sinking cabin cruiser.
The device was found 10 weeks after the memorable 'shout' in the Hundred Foot River by David Tough, a grazier at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT)'s reserve at Welney, between Downham Market and Ely.
RNLI supporter David, who manages the 450-strong herd of cattle which graze the 1,000-acre reserve on the Norfolk - Cambridgeshire border, was clearing debris from a sluice when he spotted a familiar item floating at the edge of the tidal waterway.
While its orange float was faded, it still stood out from the usual debris that washes up in the river like pallets, driftwood, sleepers and cushions.
'I saw something in the water which had RNLI on it,' said David. 'I knew I'd seen something like it before, then I realised I'd seen them on Saving Lives at Sea, so I went and got a rake and fished it out.
'It was snagged to start with but I jiggled the rake a bit and after I freed it, I found it had a radio attached. When I switched it on, it lit up and still worked.'
David contacted the nearest lifeboat station to the Welney reserve at Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast, where lifeboat operations manager Mike Gould confirmed a radio had gone missing in action.
'When we found it had been lost we just assumed it had been washed away,' said Mike. 'There was so much going on that night.
'It was a massive surprise when David contacted the station, we couldn't believe it.'
On Sunday, 19 October, David travelled to Hunstanton RNLI with WWT colleague Emma Brand to return the lost kit to the crew.
He handed over the radio to Stuart Murray, who was one of the hovercraft crew which took part in the rescue, along with the station's fast inshore lifeboat.
'I thought you'd like me to bring it back so you can start using it again,' he told volunteer crew members. 'It still works but it might just need a little bit of a clean.'
Launch authority Paul Stewart said: 'It was great to get the equipment back and we're thrilled it's still working. It just needs a clean-up, which we'll do.
'We're so grateful to David for finding it and bringing it back once he realised who it belonged to.'
The radio was made by Herne Bay-based Icom Ltd, who said it wasn't the first time one of its products had survived a lengthy soaking.
One device still worked after spending five years in the damp and mouldy bilges of a sailing yacht, while another still functioned after four months in a tidal river and yet another shrugged off four months at the bottom of a lake.
Icom sales and marketing assistant Nikki Sanderson said: 'We are extremely proud of the durability of our radios and glad to hear that the radio has been returned to the station.'
Editor's Notes
Hunstanton lifeboat station operates a fast inshore lifeboat and a search and rescue hovercraft.
Its volunteers cover The Wash and parts of the north Norfolk coast.
Like more than 200 RNLI crews around the coast of the UK and Ireland, their work would not be possible without the kindness of those who support the charity that saves lives at sea.
Donations and legacies fund vital lifesaving equipment ranging from the craft they go to sea on to everyday essentials like their radios.
RNLI Images
Pictures of David returning the lost radio to the station and with the item where he found it on the reserve at Welney attached.
Please note credit: RNLI/Chris Bishop
RNLI Media Contacts
For more information call Chris Bishop, Hunstanton RNLI volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07584 147219 or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
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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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