Two Storm Floris call outs for New Brighton RNLI
New Brighton RNLI were tasked twice during high winds and rough conditions during Storm Floris at the start of this week.
On Monday 4 August at approximately 6pm the pager sounded for volunteer crew at New Brighton. The tasking, from HM Coastguard, was to reports of a male casualty in difficulty in the Crosby Radar Tower vicinity. New Brighton’s Atlantic-85 was requested to attend the ongoing incident to provide waterside cover. The incident was quickly resolved once the inshore lifeboat had launched.
Having returned to station and washed down ready for service, the crew were debriefing from this initial tasking when the phone rang once more.
The new tasking, which came in at just before 8pm, was to reports of a kite surfer in difficulty off Leasowe Gun Site. The casualty had been separated from their board and was struggling to recover to shore. New Brighton RNLI headed out once more, on board the Charles Dibdin, their B-class lifeboat, which has recently been returned to New Brighton after a full refit at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre at Cowes.
The casualty was eventually recovered safely to shore, with no further medical assistance required. New Brighton returned to station once again to wash down and prepare for service, and this time remained uninterrupted.
Conditions on the water were difficult for both taskings, with Storm Floris battering northern parts of the UK. Whilst visibility was fair, with bright skies, strong north westerly winds were at force 6 on the Beaufort Scale, representing speeds of 22-27 knots. The sea state was rough, which was also challenging, with 2.5 to 4m wave swells.
Fliss Green, helm for both taskings, said:
‘These were two challenging incidents during a period of rough weather in the north of the UK, with Storm Floris keeping things interesting indeed, and the crew for both shouts performed admirably in the conditions.
The wind direction and speed meant it was tempting conditions for kite surfing, as we saw with the second tasking. No water-based activity is without risk, however, and we would always urge people to wear a lifejacket and carry a means of communication whilst out on the water. If you get into any difficulty at all, or see anybody getting into potential difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard straightaway.’
Notes to Editors:
New Brighton RNLI was established in 1863 in the bustling seaside resort of New Brighton, on the northeast corner of the Wirral peninsula. They cover the River Mersey and out into the Irish Sea.
The station is home to a B-class Atlantic 85 lifeboat, one of the fastest in the RNLI fleet. The crews at New Brighton have been presented with a remarkable 48 awards for gallantry to date.
RNLI Media Contacts:
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Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith
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Danielle Rush
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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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