2008 – LB347
DRIFTING CRUISER TOWED TO SAFETY
Two Bridport
men, whose cruiser developed fuel problems, were towed 15 miles to safety
by the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat on Sunday evening (June 29th).
The mens’ vessel, the 24foot Marvag, was stranded during its journey from
Dartmouth to West Bay.
Their radio
call for help was relayed to the Lyme Regis lifeboat volunteers who
launched the Pearl of Dorset at 5.24pm.
After
reaching the Marvag, helmsman James Rice and his lifeboat crew attached a
line and towed the cruiser back to the safety of Lyme Regis harbour. The
tow took some one and three-quarter hours.
The two men
aboard the cruiser were its owner, Derek Fox – who had just taken delivery
of the vessel – and John Johnston, both from Bridport.
Mr Johnston
said: “Thank goodness for the RNLI. We are both very grateful for the
efforts of the Lyme Regis lifeboat crew.”
 RUNNERS CHEQUE IN
FOR LIFEBOAT CREW
Staff
from the Dorset Works Organisation – the contracts arm of Dorset County
Council – ran half a marathon to raise £1,000 for the RNLI’s lifeboat crew
in Lyme Regis. Members of
the team delivered the king-sized cheque on Tuesday (June 24) and
requested the money is used to boost the training kitty of the Lyme Regis
life-savers.
Jan Hawkins,
who presented the cheque to Duty Launch Authority Garry Gibbs , said: "We
are very much a Dorset organisation, and the Lyme Regis lifeboat is a
vital part of our county’s life. We wanted to make a contribution to the
RNLI’s work in Dorset.” The Dorset
Works Organisation, based in Charminster, is heavily involved in the
maintenance of the county’s highways.
2008 –
LB345 ALL
NIGHT SEARCH ENDS WITH MAN,70, SAFE
A huge search for a missing 70year old Lyme Regis man ended when he was
found under a cliff face and winched to safety by helicopter after being
out in the open all night.
The search began at 2136 on Friday (June 13)
when the man’s family reported him missing since lunchtime. Lyme Regis
RNLI lifeboat was launched to assist coastguards and police, and searched
east and west along the coast before light failed. The lifeboat crew then
joined the other services in a massive search throughout the town and
beyond.
After several hours the search was suspended
and resumed at first light today (14th). The lifeboat was
launched again at 0453 and continued to search to the east.
At 0504 the man was spotted by an RAF search
and rescue helicopter from Chivenor walking in the Black Venn area east of
Lyme Regis. He was winched to safety and the helicopter landed on the
beach, where an ambulance was waiting. The man was met by family members,
and after a check-up was taken home.
When the inland search started on Friday
evening, lifeboat crew, coastguards and police searched the golf course
area, the football club, allotments and other areas, including Uplyme
where the man – a keen walker – was known to visit.
2008 –
LB344 HUGE
SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN
Lyme Regis lifeboat was launched at 2136 yesterday (June 13th)
to assist coastguards and police in a search for a missing 70 year old
man from the town. The lifeboat searched the coast to the east and west of
Lyme without success before the light failed. Lifeboat crews then joined
police and coastguard search and rescue teams in a widespread search of
the town and outskirts. The Devon and Cornwall police helicopter was also
called in.
Relatives said the missing man, Mr, Michael
Emmett, a keen walker, had last been seen at lunchtime.
The search was called off after some four
hours and will be resumed early this (Saturday} morning.
2008
– LB343 LIFEBOAT CREW RESCUE
MAN, 48
Lyme Regis lifeboat was launched at 21-03 tonight (June 11th)
to rescue a man who got into difficulties in the sea a quarter of a mile
off Broad Ledge.
Two local
men, fisherman Nick Williams and boat builder Jim Robson, swam from the
beach to help the 48 year old man before the lifeboat – alerted by
coastguards – arrived to take him aboard.
All three men
were taken ashore by the lifeboat crew. The rescued man was seen by
ambulance crew but did not need to go to hospital. Local police officers
were also called to the lifeboat station.
– LB341
Brothers at sea are honoured
Two
brothers, who between them have served the RNLI’s lifeboat in Lyme Regis
for more than 40 years, have been honoured by the life-saving charity.
James and Andrew Rice each received the RNLI’s long service badge during a
special presentation evening (on Fri June 6) at the town’s Powerboat Club.
James, a paramedic when he is not on lifeboat duty, joined the crew in
1986. He is a helmsman and also the vessel’s mechanic.
Brother Andrew, a Lyme Regis postman, who became a crew member in 1988,
first joined as a shore helper and tractor driver when regulations
restricted spectacle-wearers from going to sea. The rule later changed and
Andrew then qualified as sea-going crew.
Three former crew members who served the lifeboat for many years were
presented with framed letters of gratitude from the RNLI’s chief
executive.
They
are John Bowditch, who was the tractor driver, a role vital to the safe
launching and recovery of the lifeboat; Giffard Harrison, a sea-going crew
member whose job as an airline captain prevented him from regular lifeboat
duty, and Luke Wason, a professional fisherman, who moved out of the area.
Giffard was on airline duty and his award was received by the lifeboat’s
medical adviser, Dr. Forbes Watson, and Luke’s letter was collected by his
father Paul. All the awards were presented by Divisional Lifeboat
Inspector Simon Pryce .
2008 – LB340
THREE DIVERS RESCUED
Three divers were rescued by the crew of the RNLI
lifeboat from Lyme Regis when they got into difficulties off Charton Bay.
The three men raised the alarm when the engine on their small speedboat
broke down some two and a half miles from Lyme Regis at around 9pm on
Thursday (June 5). the lifeboat was launched at 21-14. The divers
raised the alarm with their mobile phone after two of them surfaced to
discover their engine had failed. The
engine was restarted but failed again. The two divers in the
water were taken on board the lifeboat together with their colleague who
was on the dive boat and
brought back, safe and well, to Lyme Regis lifeboat station.
The lifeboat towed their boat to safety. Once ashore the men were
interviewed by coastguards and issued with safety advice.
2008 – LB New
press officer for lifeboat
A former newspaper and broadcast journalist
has taken on the role as volunteer press officer to the RNLI lifeboat
station in Lyme Regis.
Richard Horobin, who moved from Hampshire a
year ago, worked in local and regional newspapers before joining BBC TV at
Pebble Mill in Birmingham. He left the Midlands in 1981 to become Editor
of BBC TV South in Southampton, responsible for news output including the
nightly programme South Today. After 24 years with the BBC he became head
of Media Services at Hampshire Constabulary.
Richard takes over from Andrew Kaye who was
lifeboat press officer for seven years.
Andrew is not leaving the station and is
taking on the important job of archivist, keeping detailed records of the
RNLI’s work in Lyme Regis.
Richard said: “Andrew’s will be a difficult
act to follow, but I will do my best to keep the local media in particular
fully informed of the dedicated work carried out by the RNLI volunteers
in Lyme Regis.”
Lifeboat Operations Manager Rob Fossett
said:”I am very happy to have Richard as a member of our small team in
Lyme Regis and as part of the wider family with the RNLI.
“I am also delighted we are not losing
touch with Andrew who has given tremendous service over the years.”
Friday 30 May 2008 –
LB336 Lifeboat searches
for 73-year-old man
The Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched this evening (at 1949 on Friday
30 May 2008) to search for a 73-year-old man suffering from severe
dementia missing in the area of Beer, Devon.
The lifeboat was soon released from its
search between Culverhole Point and Beer, as directed by Portland
Coastguard, after the man was found by Devon and Cornwall Police, safe and
sound in the village of Branscombe.
The lifeboat returned to Lyme Regis just
before 8.30pm (2025) where is was washed down, refuelled and made ready
for its next launch.
Monday 26 May
2008 – LB335
Lifeboat called to capsized yacht
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was
launched at 3.30pm today (at 1529 on Monday 26 May 2008) to rescue a lone
sailor whose small sailing dinghy had capsized in strong winds just off
Charmouth Beach, Dorset.
When the lifeboat arrived on the scene
shortly after being called out, the crew found that the man had abandoned
his dinghy and swum ashore with the assistance of a retired coastguard who
had spotted him from the beach.
A member of the lifeboat crew swam ashore
to check whether or not the casualty had any injuries and to await the
arrival of the local coastguard unit. A Coastguard rescue helicopter
remained in the vicinity until it was known that the casualty did not
required airlifting to hospital.
The lifeboat then returned to Lyme Regis to
pick up an additional crew member returning to the capsized yacht which,
together with its mast and sail, was lifted aboard the lifeboat and taken
back to Lyme Regis, arriving at 4.22pm (1622).
A group of up to
100 riders, all members of the Bath Classic Motor Cycle Club, will
be descending on Lyme next Sunday (1 June), arriving at the slipway on
The Cobb between 1230 and 1300. It is their intention to present a
cheque for the RNLI to the lifeboat crew. It should be quite a
spectacle
Monday 26 May
2008 – LB335
Monday 19 May
2008 – LB333
Lifeboat rescues seven
from drifting speedboat
 The
Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched at just after 5 o’clock
yesterday evening (at 1719 on Sunday 19 May 2008) to rescue seven people –
including two children – in a large speed boat with engine trouble,
drifting ½ mile off Seaton Beach, Devon.
After quickly arriving on the scene, lifeboat helmsman Mark
Colley, decided to transfer everyone from the 21-foot ‘Moody Blue’ ashore
at Axmouth harbour before towing the speedboat across the difficult
shingle bar that guards the entrance to the harbour. On arriving at the
harbour, the casualties were met by members of the local Coastguard unit.
A lifeboat crew member had been left on board the ‘Moody
Blue’ and, on the lifeboat’s return, a tow was quickly set up and the bar
safely crossed. Once the ‘Moody Blue’ had been tied up in Axmouth
harbour, the lifeboat returned to Lyme Regis at 1838 where it was washed
down and refuelled, ready for the next callout.
PHOTO CAPTION: Lifeboat man James Rice
steers the ‘Moody Blue’ as she is towed into Axmouth harbour by the Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat – the ‘Pearl of Dorset’
Sunday 11 May 2008
– LB332 Children in
rubber dinghy cause lifeboat alert
At noon
today (1200 on Sunday 11 May 2008) Portland Coastguard requested the Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat to go to Seaton Hole – between Seaton and Beer
in Devon – where two children in a small rubber dinghy had been blown away
from the beach by an offshore breeze.
On arriving at the scene, the lifeboat crew
found that the children had been recovered by a boat already in the
vicinity, and were safe and well. The lifeboat then returned to Lyme
Regis.
7th
May 2008 – LB331
Bristol
cycle ride raises money for lifeboat
.jpg) Members
of the Easton Woodcraft Youth Group and Bristol Penguins Olympic Swimming
Club cycled from Bristol to Lyme Regis at the weekend to raise money for
both the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Devon Air Ambulance.
When they arrived at Lyme Regis Lifeboat
Station on Saturday afternoon (3 May 2008) after their gruelling 75-mile
ride, they were greeted by members of the crew and friends from Seaton who
were also raising money for the fundraising group.
“We lost one cyclist on the way due to an
injury to their knee,” said organiser John Kendall, “but we are delighted
to have achieved our goal in an effort to raise much-needed money for
these two worthy causes.”
Lifeboat helmsman Rob Crabbe, who was one
of the welcoming committee had nothing but praise for the cyclists: “I was
not surprised they looked so exhausted when they arrived at the station
and we cannot thank them enough for their wonderful efforts on our
behalf.”
4th May
2008 – LB330 Lifeboat assists
coastguards in cliff rescue
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched yesterday afternoon (at
1655 on Saturday 4 May 2008) following a report of two people trapped by
the tide on the beach beneath Black Venn, a notorious landslip area of
cliffs to the east of the town.
The lifeboat crew quickly spotted the
casualties who by that time had decided to make their escape from the
beach by climbing up into the landslip area, which is well-known to
contain pockets of deep mud and quicksand.
From their position out to sea, the
lifeboat crew were able to talk to the coastguard cliff rescue team,
directing them to the casualties’ position. “It was another instance of a
lifeboat being able to assist with a land-based rescue from out at sea by
spotting for the coastguards who may not immediately be able to see the
casualties,” said Phil Ball, a deputy launching authority at Lyme Regis
lifeboat station.
2 May 2008 –
LB329 Injured
crew member returns to lifeboat duties
Five months
after his wrist was badly broken during a rescue, Martin Croad (28) has
been given the all-clear to return to sea duties by Royal National
Lifeboat Institution doctors.
“It has been a frustrating five months away
from the lifeboat,” said Mr. Croad. “It was a bad break which required
pins and a plate being inserted in my wrist, but I have just passed all
the tests and am now fit and strong enough to go to sea when the call
comes.”
Mr. Croad, who works for a local builder,
was injured when he tried to stop the man the crew had just rescued from a
small rowing dinghy from being injured when the lifeboat encountered a
rogue wave only 100 metres outside the entrance to the Cobb Harbour. “It
was pretty painful at the time and I was off work for over four months,”
said Mr. Croad, “but in the lifeboat service, you have to take the rough
with the smooth. That day it was particularly rough! I am glad to be
back.”
22 April 2008
– LB327
Lifeboat seeks new press officer
The Royal
National Lifeboat Institution is looking for a new lifeboat press officer
for the Lyme Regis lifeboat station to replace Andrew Kaye, who is
retiring from the volunteer job at the end of May.
“It has been a wonderful seven years,” said
Andrew, “but I am now 62 years of age and the time has come for me to slip
into a less active role at the station, leaving the way open for someone
who can bring a bit more energy to the role!”
According to Lyme Regis lifeboat operations
manager Rob Fossett, the job of lifeboat press officer is to maximise
publicity in the local area for the RNLI generally, but more specifically
for the town’s own lifeboat and crew: “The RNLI is a charity and must
raise £120 million every year to maintain its current level of service,”
said Rob, “and so it is vital people are made aware of the rescues carried
out by our local lifeboat crew - and put their hands in their pockets the
next time they see an RNLI collection box! It is the job of the lifeboat
press officer to make certain that everyone knows when and why our
lifeboat has been launched and the wonderful job done by her volunteer
crew.”
The job of LPO entails responding when his
or her pager is set off and telling the local media about a rescue –
usually after it is successfully concluded. Opportunities must also be
sought to maximise publicity for events that involve the station and
station personnel. “It is an important job,” continued Rob, “and training
in the art of communicating with the media will be given by the RNLI.
Being computer literate and able to use a camera are distinct advantages.
There are many personal benefits in being LPO, top of the list must be
total involvement in the station and the wonderful camaraderie to be found
there.”
Anyone interested in learning more about
the role of LPO for Lyme Regis lifeboat station should call Rob Fossett on
07818 044458.
Saturday 19 April
2008 – LB328
Lifeboat helps two trapped by tide
The Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched this afternoon (at 1633 on
Saturday 19 April 2008) to rescue two people trapped by the tide on a
retaining wall behind Back Beach, to the east of the Dorset town.
On arrival at the scene, Rob
Crabbe, who was helming the lifeboat, sent crew member Tim Edwards to swim
ashore to the casualties. The crew member then escorted the people, who
were extremely cold and wet, to meet up with members of the local
coastguard unit who had by then made their way to the beach.
The casualties were then driven to the
lifeboat station where they were given warm showers and hot drinks to
prevent the onset of hyperthermia.
28 March 2008
– LB326 Lifeboat crew finds missing children
The Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat found three missing children soon after
joining a search already in progress on Stonebarrow, fields and cliffs
between Charmouth and Golden Cap, Dorset, yesterday afternoon (Thursday 27
March 2008).
Police units, a police helicopter and local
coastguard units had searched without success for the children before the
lifeboat was called in to look along the beach and coastline. Launched at
2.50pm (1450). On arriving in the area that was being searched, two
members of the lifeboat crew swam ashore and quickly located the children,
at the bottom of St. Gabriel’s Steps, a narrow pathway leading down to the
beach from Stonebarrow.
The lifeboat crew handed the children, two
young girls and a boy, over to the police, safe and well.
Lyme Regis-based duty deputy launching
authority Phil Ball, who was responsible for co-ordinating the lifeboat’s
part in the search, said that on some occasions, a lifeboat crew can gain
access to an isolated beach and see things from the sea which are not
visible from the cliff tops. “An example of this is when a casualty is
trapped half way up a cliff and cannot be seen by the coastguard rescue
team at the top the cliff. From the sea, the lifeboat crew can see the
casualty and direct the coastguards to the exact spot where they should
set up their cliff rescue equipment. The missing children incident was a
case in point and demonstrates the co-operation that exists between the
emergency services.”
25 March 2008
– LB325
Lyme Regis lifeboat joins search for
missing man
The Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched early yesterday evening (at 1747
on Friday 24 March 2008) to assist in the search for a man believed
missing around the area of Beer Head, Devon.
The lifeboat was tasked to search between
Seaton Hole – to the west of Seaton – and Branscombe, in a coordinated
operation with Coastguard helicopter India Juliet, local coastguard units
and the Sidmouth lifeboat.
Following reports that the missing man had
been spotted inland, the main emphasis of the search moved ashore and as a
result the Lyme Regis lifeboat was released from the search at 1840 to
return to Lyme Regis.
Thursday 13 March
2008 - LB324
Money raised at Christmas swim presented to
RNLI
The annual
Christmas Day Swim, organised by Carol and Jeff Prosser, landlords of the
Royal Oak public house, Charmouth, raised a
 massive
£2,106.00 for the RNLI. Carol
presented a giant cheque to delighted members of the Lyme Regis lifeboat
crew on Wednesday evening (12.03.08). Helmsman Dave Street said that
during the years that the Prossers have been landlords of the Royal Oak,
they had raised over £27,000 for the RNLI. “It is a wonderful
achievement,” he said, “and, once again, our thanks go to them and also
the 80 slightly crazy people who braved the freezing waters wearing all
kinds of fancy dress on Christmas morning – not forgetting the 800
spectators and sponsors. “The RNLI depends entirely on voluntary
contributions, and without such generosity, the organisation would not be
able to raise the £122 million needed this year to maintain the current
level of service,” concluded Dave.
Photo line-up:
(L to R) John Cable (crew), Garry Gibbs
(Deputy Launching Authority), Carol Prosser, Martin Croad (crew), Dave
Street (helmsman), Tim Edwards (helmsman), Mark Colley (helmsman), and
Mark Gage (crew and tractor mechanic).
Saturday 8
December 2007 – LB323
Man rescued from small dinghy in violent
seas
 The
Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched at 2.30pm this afternoon
(1430 on Saturday 8 December 2007) to assist a man in a distressed state
in a small rowing boat in heavy swell off the town beach at Lyme Regis.
The man was quickly taken aboard the
lifeboat which, during its return to harbour, encountered a rogue wave,
the violence of which resulted in a crew member sustaining a suspected
broken wrist as he tried to protect the casualty, who was himself slightly
injured. After safely returning to harbour, both were taken by ambulance
to hospital in Dorchester for treatment.
Photo: The
casualty is looked after prior to being transferred to an ambulance and
then to hospital in Dorchester. The lifeboat's forward bow
inflatable sponson had been deflated to assist the transfer from the
lifeboat.
26 September 2007
– LB321
Lifeboat searches for person missing in sea
The Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched yesterday afternoon (at 1420 on
Tuesday 25 September 2007) following reports of a person who may have fallen
into the water from Broad Ledge, close to the main beach at Lyme Regis.
The lifeboat arrived quickly on the scene and
was joined by the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter Victor Alpha,
based at Portland. An extensive search was made of the area – the helicopter
using its thermal imaging equipment. The local Coastguard unit and police
were also involved.
The search continued for 1½ hours and nothing
was found. The lifeboat returned to station at approximately 4.00pm (1600).
8th
September 2007 – LB320
Lifeboat
involved in dramatic harbour rescue
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was involved in a
dramatic and unusual rescue on Saturday night (7 September 2007) after a
57-year-old man fell 15 feet from the Cobb harbour dockside into shallow
water.
First on the
scene were four courageous teenagers who had been walking along the
dockside; one of them, Josh Sheppard on holiday from Seaford, East Sussex,
jumped into the water whilst the other three hauled the injured man from the
water into a moored fishing boat. The incident occurred at about 10.45pm and
was attended, initially, by the Lyme Regis fire brigade and Coastguard unit.
It was decided that as the tide was almost out, the least traumatic method
of removing the man from the fishing boat would be to use the lifeboat –
still on its trailer – as a temporary ambulance.
Laying on a
spinal board, the casualty was lifted from the stern of the fishing boat
onto the lifeboat and then gently pulled across the harbour by the
lifeboat’s tractor, and up the lifeboat slipway to a waiting ambulance. The
tide was out for most of the way and the short journey had to be carried out
extremely slowly to minimise any further damage to the casualty.
“The whole
operation went extremely well,” said Lyme Regis lifeboat operations manager
Rob Fossett, “and demonstrated the co-operation that can be achieved between
all the emergency services.”
The teenager who
jumped into the water to save the man was Josh Sheppard. His brother Luke,
together with local boys Toby Guest and Simon Case helped him haul the
injured man, who lives in Chepstow, onto the moored fishing boat.
Earlier in the
evening, the lifeboat had been launched at 7.29pm to assist a small
speedboat with engine trouble which had drifted ashore onto the rocks below
Golden Cap, between Charmouth and West Bay, with a father and son aboard.
The lifeboat towed the speedboat into West Bay with everyone safe and sound.
6th September 2007
– LB319
Letters of
thanks passed on to lifeboat station
The Royal
National Lifeboat Institution has issued every lifeboat station with a
booklet containing letters sent to the RNLI by well-wishers and grateful
people who have been rescued by its volunteer crews over recent years.
Rob Fossett, the man in
charge of Lyme Regis lifeboat station and a veteran of 3,000 lifeboat
rescues himself, said that people they have rescued do not always have the
opportunity to make their feelings know to the crew at the time: “Even so,
it is always gratifying to know that the many hours spent training and the
rescue itself have been appreciated by the people we help.”
Mark Colley, one of six
helmsmen at Lyme Regis said: “Reading the booklet of comments and ‘thanks’
put together by the RNLI means a great deal to the boat crew as well as
everyone else who plays a part in the operational side of our work; the
tractor drivers, shore crew and station management. In turn, we ourselves
owe a debt of thanks to the people who donate to RNLI funds and to members
of Lifeboat Guilds around the country – in particular the stalwart and
hard-working members of our own Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat Guild.”
According to RNLI
figures, the Lyme Regis inshore lifeboat crew saved six lives in 2005, three
lives in 2006 and so far this year have rescued 27 people and saved eight
lives.
Monday 13 August
2007 – LB317
Father and son saved from capsized catamaran
When the Lyme Regis
RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched for the third time on Sunday (at 2011 on
Sunday 12 August 2007) it was to rescue a father and his 13-year-old son
reported to have capsized their catamaran to the east of Charmouth, Dorset.
When the lifeboat crew
located them, they were found clinging to the overturned hulls, one of which
had partially filled with water. They were quickly transferred to the
lifeboat before attempts were made to right the 16-foot Hobie – which was
called The Missy Moo.
Eventually the dinghy was returned to the upright
position and towed back to the Cobb harbour at Lyme Regis, rather than
returning it to Charmouth beach were it had left earlier in the evening.
Charmouth would have been the faster option, but lifeboat helmsman Lance
Taylor decided that the dinghy was still unstable and would be in danger of
being capsized by the cross-swell had he towed in that direction.
On arriving at the lifeboat station the father and
son, both from Charmouth, were given warm showers to counter the early signs
of hyperthermia and attended by paramedic James Rice, who was a member of
the crew that saved them.
Earlier that afternoon, at 3.36pm, the lifeboat had
picked up three divers who had become separated from their dive boat of
Eype’s Mouth, Dorset after it had developed engine trouble and drifted away
from the area where they were swimming on the sea bed.*
The second call out of the day was at 7.00pm (1900 on
12 August 2007) when a young man was reported cut off by the tide at Back
Beach, Lyme Regis. He was quickly located and said he was fossiling and not
in any danger. However, the lifeboat crew persuaded him to return with them
to Lyme Regis harbour in the lifeboat.
Sunday 12 August
2007 – LB316
*Lifeboat responds to Mayday call
The Lyme Regis RNLI
inshore lifeboat was launched this afternoon (at 1536 on Sunday 12 August
2007) responding to a Mayday call from a dive boat with engine problems
drifting downwind away from three divers swimming on the sea bed.
On arrival at the scene, which was ½ mile to the south
of Eype’s Mouth, near Bridport, Dorset, the lifeboat crew found that the
dive boat, the Norad Diver, had already been taken under tow by the
West Bay Harbour launch, but the divers were still below, unaware of the
drama enfolding above them.
Also on the scene were a Coastguard search and rescue
helicopter and two other dive boats who had responded to the emergency call.
The lifeboat crew decided that since they swimmers
were ‘drift diving’ – allowing the tide to take them with the flow – the
best course of action would be to keep the divers’ Surface Marker Buoy in
sight until they surfaced, which they did shortly afterwards.
The three divers and their equipment were then taken
on board the lifeboat and transferred to West Bay harbour, safe and sound.
9th
August 2007 – LB315
Two young men rescued from
drifting inflatables
The Lyme Regis RNLI
inshore lifeboat was launched yesterday evening (at 1816 on Wednesday 8
August 2007) when two inflatable dinghies were reported drifting out to sea
¾ mile off Freshwater, near Burton Bradstock, Dorset.
Just before arriving on the scene, the
lifeboat crew were informed by Portland coastguard that two young men had
just been picked up by a local boat, the Duchess, but asked that the
lifeboat take over responsibility for the casualties and return them to
Freshwater beach and a waiting mobile coastguard unit.
On its way back to Lyme Regis, the lifeboat
was tasked to assist another coastguard unit investigating a recent landslip
just to the east of Golden Cap. Nobody was found trapped at the base of the
cliffs and so the lifeboat returned to station at Lyme Regis at 1900.
Later the same evening, the lifeboat joined
the Portland-based coastguard search and rescue helicopter in giving a
demonstration of marine rescue techniques at an RNLI fundraising barbecue
being held at Seatown, Dorset
6 August
2007 – LB314
False
alarm for lifeboat
The Lyme
Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched yesterday evening (at 2013 on
Sunday 5 August 2007) following a report of an empty rubber dinghy being
seen drifting towards Back Beach to the east of the holiday resort.
After a brief search and making enquiries of
people on the beach, the rescue was called off and logged as a ‘false alarm
with good intent’.
30 July 2007 –
LB313
Lifeboat ‘rescues’ three from rising tide
A father and
his two young daughters were ‘rescued’ yesterday evening by the Lyme Regis
RNLI inshore lifeboat when the rising tide apparently trapped them on a
beach near to the Dorset holiday resort.
The lifeboat, with its three volunteer crew,
was launched in the early evening (at 1900 on Sunday 29 July 2007) after the
family, on a day trip from Southampton, were reported in trouble on East
Beach just to the east of the town.
On arrival at the scene, the family told the
crew that they had accessed the beach from above and had planned to return
by the same route. However, it was thought that the safest option would be
for the lifeboat to take them off the beach. They were returned to the
harbour at Lyme Regis, where the father said it had been an unexpected
adventure, but that it was good to know that the lifeboat was around had
they been in serious trouble.
Sunday 15 July 2007 –
LB312
Lifeboat launches three times in nine hours
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore
lifeboat was launched three times on Saturday 14 July: twice in earnest and
once to assist the harbour master assess the potential threat from the
leakage of oil from the stranded Napoli.
The first callout (launched at 1005) was to two children
reported to have capsized a canoe off the beach at Seaton, Devon. On arrival
at the scene a mobile coastguard unit reported that the children had managed
to safely swim ashore.
The second launch of the day was at the request of Lyme Regis
harbour master Mike Poupard who was extremely concerned to learn that four
large oil slicks had been reported drifting eastwards from the container
ship Napoli, which had begun breaking up off Branscombe, Devon. He
had asked help from the lifeboat because the tide was out at Lyme Regis and
consequently no commercial craft were available as they could not leave the
harbour, which had dried out. Lifeboat operations manager Rob Fossett then
rang around for a full complement of both boat and shore crew to avoid an
unnecessary emergency response had he set the pagers off. The lifeboat was
launched at 1230 and made its way to the west with the harbourmaster on
board. The survey of the area was successfully completed by 1345 when the
lifeboat returned to station.
The final launch of the day occurred at 1833
after reports were received of people cut off by the tide at East Beach,
Lyme Regis. On arrival at the scene, a member of the crew swam ashore to
find one man, prepared to wait for the tide to drop sufficiently. The
lifeboat then continued its search and found a man and woman on a high wall
above the tide line. The crew member again swam ashore to lead them along
the wall to a waiting Coastguard team. However, a dangerous landslip blocked
their path and so it was decided to recover the three casualties by sea from
a groin. The lifeboat approached the groin three times and recovered a
casualty at each attempt. With the casualties safely on board, the lifeboat
returned to Lyme Regis harbour at 1925.
28 June 2007 - LB311
 Lifeboat
crew member invited to Buckingham Palace
As a long-standing member of the Lyme Regis lifeboat crew, Andrew Rice,
together with his wife Tanya, has been invited to attend one Her Majesty the
Queen's garden parties at Buckingham Palace.
The Lyme Regis couple will meet up with other lifeboat crew and their wives
who will also be attending the event on Tuesday 10 July. Andrew, who
is a postman during the day and a member of the boat crew and tractor driver
when his pager is set off, said that he is honoured to have been selected to
represent the RNLI: "I will also be representing all my friends at the
lifeboat station, however, when Tanya and I go to the Palace. I can only
assume that my 20-year's service with the Lyme Regis lifeboat was the reason
I was selected for the honour by RNLI headquarters," he said.
Saturday 23 June 2007 -
LB310
Lifeboat responds to Mayday call
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched this afternoon (at 1549 on
Saturday 23 June 2007) when a small motor boat with engine problems put out
a Mayday call after it began taking in water over the side.
On locating the motor boat, called the Free Spirit, ½ mile south of
Charmouth beach, the lifeboat crew discovered the two people on board safe
and well and that the boat had already been taken in tow by local fishing
boat Delta Barbara, skippered by Nigel Hill.
The lifeboat, helmed by Mark Colley, then escorted the two vessels back to
the entrance of The Cobb harbour at Lyme Regis, where it took over the tow
for the final leg to the harbour beach.
The owner of the Free Spirit, who lives near Yeovil, later said he had only
bought the boat two days earlier.
13 June 2007 –
LB309
Lifeboat rescues stranded man
As the Lyme Regis RNLI
inshore lifeboat was leaving The Cobb harbour for a regular training
exercise yesterday evening (at 1940 on Tuesday 12 June 2007) a member of the
public drew the crew’s attention to a fully-clothed man standing up to his
waist in the sea off a remote beach to the East of the holiday resort.
After nosing the lifeboat through treacherous rocks into Back
Beach, helmsman James Rice found an elderly gentleman (77) in a cold and
distressed state. He had been walking along the beach from Charmouth to
Lyme Regis and because of the state of the tide had been unable to pass this
particular point without entering the water.
He was taken on board the lifeboat, which quickly returned to
the boathouse in The Cobb harbour where the casualty was later reunited with
his wife. They are regular visitors to Lyme Regis from their home in St.
Albans.
Tuesday 5 June 2007
– LB308 Lifeboat
crew assist coastguard recover casualty
The crew of the Lyme Regis
were paged this afternoon (at 1546 on Tuesday 5 June 2007) to assist the
local coastguard unit recover and transfer a 30-year-old man who was
believed to have seriously injured his neck diving into shallow water near
the main beach at the holiday resort.
The casualty was secured into a special stretcher and
transferred to the Dorset Air Ambulance by the lifeboat crew, paramedics and
coastguards. The helicopter then flew the casualty to hospital.
It had not been necessary for the lifeboat to be launched.
26 May 2007 –
LB307
Students
seeking Duke of Edinburgh Awards join lifeboat
Three
students seeking their bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards have joined the Lyme
Regis RNLI lifeboat station for six months to cover the required ‘service’
element of the award.
Grace Wadsworth (15), Richie Durrant (15) and Ollie Rice (14)
are students at Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis and are all related to
various members of the crew. Grace’s father Tim is a member of the lifeboat
crew, Ollie’s father James is a helmsman and the lifeboat mechanic, whilst
Richie’s uncles Brian and Dave Street are both helmsmen. Other students
seeking the same award are doing their ‘service’ various organisations
around the town including the fire brigade, working in old peoples homes,
carrying out sundry community services and even beach cleaning.
“They have to do 15 to 30 hours work within the local
community to complete the ‘service’ aspect of the award,” said Lyme Regis
lifeboat operations manager Rob Fossett. “These three have chosen the
lifeboat and while they are with us they will look at what the lifeboat
does, how we operate, learn about our personal protection equipment, how the
lifeboat is launched and recovered, the equipment it carries and the crew
training we undertake on land and at sea.
“They will also become involved with the fundraising side of
the RNLI by helping out during our Lifeboat Week in July. By the end of the
summer they will have assisted in pretty well all of the activities at our
lifeboat station,” concluded Rob.
Monday 21 May
2007 – LB306
Red flares false alarm for lifeboat
The
Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched this afternoon (at 1455 on
Monday 21 May 2007) following the reported sighting of two red flares out at
sea half a mile off West Bay, Dorset.
After a brief search and the receipt of further information
that the flares may have been set off inland rather than at sea, the search
was called off and the lifeboat returned to station. A false alarm with good
intention.
Sunday 13 May 2007
is Rogation Sunday - when traditionally, the Lyme Regis Lifeboat holds a
Blessing of the Boats
family service outside the boathouse at The Cobb. Wreaths are blessed and
taken out to sea by the lifeboat where they are laid to commemorate those
lost at sea.
Thursday 10 May 2007 – LB305
Lifeboat
launches for second time in 24 hours
The
Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was called out for the second time in 24
hours this evening when it was launched in poor conditions at 1845 (on
Thursday 10 May 2007) to assist a windsurfer who had been spotted with a
broken mast in difficulties off Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis.
The lifeboat crew soon discovered that the windsurfer had
managed to make his own way to Back Beach, Lyme Regis and was safely ashore.
RNLI statistics will show this as a false alarm with good intention.
The Lyme Regis lifeboat had been launched 23 hours earlier
(at 1917 on Wednesday 9 May) to assist six people in difficulties in a
34-foot yacht in strong winds. The Exmouth all-weather lifeboat was also
involved in the service – which lasted five hours with everyone eventually
ashore safely.
Thursday 10 May 2007 – LB304
Two
lifeboats help yacht make harbour in Force 7 winds
Last
night, both the Lyme Regis and Exmouth lifeboats were involved in assisting
a 30-foot yacht with engine problems and six people on board gain the safety
of West Bay harbour, Dorset in winds of Force 7 and breaking seas up to
24-feet high.
The five-hour service began yesterday evening (at 1917 on
Wednesday 9 May 2007) when the Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched
to assist the yacht Heads I Win which was experiencing difficulties
under sail in strengthening winds 2.5 miles south of Lyme Regis harbour. The
yacht’s engine was only working intermittently. After discussions with the
Lyme Regis harbourmaster, it was decided that due to the yacht’s fin keel
and deep draft, the best course of action was to escort the yacht to West
Bay harbour, eight miles away, where the yacht could shelter from the gale
force winds which had been forecasted. A member of the lifeboat crew was
transferred to the yacht.
On arrival off West Bay harbour, the lifeboat helmsman James
Rice assessed the breaking seas, the yacht’s problem engine and that towing
the yacht into the harbour was on the limits of the inshore lifeboat under
the conditions and so decided to ask the Exmouth all-weather lifeboat to
assist.
At their request and in extremely testing conditions, the
Lyme Regis lifeboat then took two exhausted members of the yacht’s crew off
and transported them in to West Bay harbour where they were met by members
of the local Coastguard team.
The Exmouth lifeboat arrived on the scene at 2233 and after
assessing the harbour entrance decided, with a towline at the ready, to
escort the yacht into West Bay under her own power, with the Lyme Regis
lifeboat leading the way.
Despite the yacht rolling to the extent that her rails were
under water at one stage, the manoeuvre was successful and the Head I Win
was put alongside a deep water berth.
With the six members of the yacht’s crew now safely ashore,
the Lyme Regis inshore lifeboat was then refuelled and a relief crew
returned her through testing conditions to Lyme Regis in company with the
Exmouth all-weather lifeboat, where she was declared ‘ready for service’
again at just after midnight (0015 on Thursday 10 May 2007). The Exmouth
lifeboat then continued back to her home berth – arriving two hours later.
6th May
2007 – LB303
Tow from lifeboat ends small boat incident
The
Lyme Regis RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched this morning (at 1011 on
Sunday 6 May) to assist a small dinghy with engine problems drifting down
towards the Golden Cap cliffs from the area of the Charmouth Sewage buoy,
one mile off Charmouth beach, Dorset. The
dinghy called Turtle – which had a husband and wife on board – was
quickly located and towed into The Cobb harbour, Lyme Regis.
Thursday 3 May 2007 – LB302
Lifeboat
launched to search for missing diver
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore
lifeboat was launched this morning (at 0941 on Thursday 3 May 2007) to
search for a diver overdue returning to his dive boat Blue Horizon
2.5 miles south west of West Bay in Dorset.
As the lifeboat was speeding to the scene, the missing diver
was spotted by Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter Whiskey Bravo whose
crew directed the dive boat to the casualty – who was taken safely on board.
The lifeboat was asked to stand down and returned to the lifeboat station at
0958.
Wednesday 18 April
2007 – LB301
Happy ending after lifeboat call
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore
lifeboat was launched this evening (at 1909 on Wednesday 18 April) to assist
three men in a 14-foot open day boat, reportedly with engine trouble, 1,000
metres off Hive Beach near Burton Bradstock, Dorset.
On arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew found the three men
peacefully fishing – although they had earlier had engine problems and
returned to the beach to replaced the defunct engine with a spare. The dive
boat Calypso, from West Bay, had stood by the ‘casualty’ after
hearing of the incident on the emergency channel of their VHF radio.
After checking the well-being of the men, the lifeboat returned to Lyme
Regis. The incident was logged by the RNLI as a ‘false alarm with good
intent’.
Lifeboat assists disabled dive boat
The Lyme Regis RNLI inshore
lifeboat was launched this afternoon (at 1557 on Saturday 14 April 2007) to
assist a dive boat, which had engine problems and still had three divers
underwater, off West Bay, Dorset.
On arrival at the scene, the lifeboat crew found that the
Susie B, a local boat skippered by Ron Bailey, already had the dive boat
alongside. When the divers surfaced, two were taken on board the lifeboat;
two were taken by Susie B – towed the dive boat into West Bay; and
one was taken aboard another local vessel.
“It was all pretty straightforward,” said lifeboat helmsman
Dave Street, “and handy that Ron Bailey was already in the area able and
willing to give immediate assistance to the dive boat. It would have been a
different story had the dive boat drifted away from the dive area and the
divers surfaced to find no boat waiting for them – an incident which we were
involved in a few years ago.”
Record
funds raised for lifeboats during Christmas swim
Last year, the
Christmas Day Swim, organised by Carol and Jeff Prosser, landlords of the
Royal Oak public house in Charmouth, raised a record £3,711 for the RNLI.
The previous year’s swim raised £2,550 and
Carol said that the significant increase this year was due to a couple of
large donations: “We hope to do even better next Christmas by getting the
sponsorship forms out earlier.” She presented a giant cheque to
delighted crew members of the Lyme Regis lifeboat on Wednesday evening.
Helmsman Dave Street (above, front left) said that during the years that the
Prossers have been landlords of the Royal Oak, they have raised nearly
£25,000 for the RNLI. “It is a massive achievement,” he said, “and our
thanks go to them and also the hardy and selfless characters who take to the
freezing waters wearing all kinds of fancy dress on Christmas morning (see
below), when they could be at home in the warm opening their presents!”
This year the
RNLI, which depends entirely on voluntary contributions, needs to raise
over £120 million to maintain the current level of service.
9 January 2007
– LB297 Rockers raise funds for Lyme Regis lifeboat
Four friends who have been regular visitors
to Lyme Regis for the last ten years, have presented a cheque for £300 to
the local RNLI lifeboat station which represents a share of the proceeds
from a series of charity Rock and Roll discos they organised in their local
town of Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire. The presentation
ceremony took place during crew training and involved Dennis Pulling, Rob
Michael (Lyme Regis and Charmouth
Lifeboat Guild Chairman), Mary Pulling, Brian Brickstock, Adriene Brickstock,
Rob Crabbe (helmsman) and Alex Jones (lifeboat probationer).
Christmas swim for lifeboat funds
Hundreds of people braved the cold seas off
Charmouth beach on Christmas morning in a fancy dress swim to raise money
for the RNLI. Once again organised by Carol and Geoff Prosser,
landlords of the Royal Oak public house in Charmouth, it is believed the
annual event has raised in excess of £1,500 for the life-saving charity.
Members of the Lyme Regis lifeboat crew also took to the icy waters as
safety marshals. |
