Cowes to Host Annual 999 Day This Weekend
The public is invited to Cowes Parade on Saturday, 2nd May from 11am-3pm, for an immersive 999 Emergency Services Day hosted by Cowes RNLI. Meet local lifesavers, explore rescue equipment, and learn essential skills that could one day save a life.
It will be a great day full of fun for the whole family. Visitors can meet Stormy Stan and get up close with a variety of RNLI inshore and all-weather lifeboats from across the island:
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Tour the lifeboats and see the cutting-edge technology used in rescues at sea.
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Meet the volunteer crews who operate the vessels and hear their firsthand stories.
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Learn about water safety directly from the experts.
St John Ambulance Isle of Wight will be on-site to provide live CPR demonstrations, teaching attendees exactly what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest. Throughout the afternoon, visitors can also watch live rescue demonstrations showcasing the coordination and skill required by our frontline services.
With summer approaching, the Yarmouth RNLI Water Safety Team will also be providing expert advice on lifejacket care. Residents and sailors can learn how to correctly choose, fit, and maintain their equipment to ensure it functions perfectly in an emergency.
Don’t miss the annual relay race as HM Coastguard and RNLI teams come together to complete a Mayday Mile. Keen to get involved? Sign up to complete your own Mayday Mile challenge this month and raise vital funds for the RNLI: https://fundraise.rnli.org/event/mayday-mile/home
“We are excited to welcome the community to the Parade to support our local emergency services,” said Willoughby Matthews, Cowes RNLI volunteer boat crew member and organiser of the event. “It’s a fantastic day out for the family and a great way to learn how to stay safe on and off the water.”
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RNLI media contacts
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Sofia Voudouroglou, Cowes RNLI Volunteer Press Officer 07594051372/ [email protected]
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For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789.
About Cowes RNLI Station
Cowes Lifeboat Station is converted from a former HM Customs Watch House, the rear of which is 300 years old. It looks out onto one of the world’s busiest shipping waterways and carries out a range of interesting services every year. It is the only station to be opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, 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.