Fleetwood RNLI responds to reports of derelict yacht

HM Coastguard had received a number of reports from the public of a partially-submerged yacht adrift in the Wyre river opposite Blackpool and Fleetwood Yacht Club and paged Fleetwood RNLI to respond. The Inshore Lifeboat Harbet was launched at 1:02 pm. Wind was 15knots from the south southeast with good visibility and a wave height of 0.5 metres.

Arriving alongside the casualty vessel at 1:25pm, the crew were able to quickly establish that the yacht was derelict and that there were no persons aboard. Discussion with members of the Coastal Rescue Team from HM Coastguard Fleetwood, who were on scene ashore, it became clear that the yacht had been cut free and brought into the river on the spring tide.

Upon reporting these findings to HM Coastguard Holyhead, the lifeboat was stood down at 1:40pm, returning to the station at 2:00pm to be washed down, refuelled and made ready for service at 2:20pm.

The shout was particularly notable for new crew member Jack Sutherland, for whom it was his first shout since qualifying to go on service the previous week. He joined the RNLI in January and was passed out at safe to go on service on Wednesday 3 September, when he was presented with his pager.

Andrew Wilson, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Fleetwood, said ‘Seeing Jack joining the crew and working his way through the initial stages of training, culminating in him receiving his pager and being able to attend callouts as a crew member of both boats is truly inspirational and highlights him as being part of the station’s bright future.‘

Helping ashore was Nathan Hackney, a long-standing volunteer who has recently qualified as crew on Fleetwood’s Shannon class All-Weather Lifeboat. Andy said, ‘Nathan has been a long standing part of the station as a member of the shore crew who are a vital part of operating the station. He has recently made the decision to move onto being a crew member of the Shannon all weather lifeboat. He has approached the training with his usual enthusiasm. He may have had a pager for a long time but it’s a pleasure to welcome him to the boat crew. ‘

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Fleetwood’s RNLI Inshore Lifeboat is named HARBET and is a D-Class boat.

• The RNLI is supported entirely through voluntary donations, and Fleetwood lifeboat station has been operating since 1859. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: http://fleetwoodlifeboat.org.uk/

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact David Devereux, Fleetwood RNLI Press Officer, on 07591 675733 / [email protected] Danielle Rush, RNLI Regional Communications Lead , West, on 07786 668829/ [email protected].or Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager, on 07468 353082 / [email protected]

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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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