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Lifeboat crew at sea for three hours to rescue two yachts
A Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew spent three and a half hours at sea today (Sat. Aug 21st) answering two calls to sailing boats in distress.
The first call, at 1358, was to a capsized Laser class dinghy drifting half a mile off the main beach.
The lifeboat towed the dinghy,with its owner, to the safety of the harbour.
The second call came just as the lifeboat returned to harbour with the Laser dinghy.
A 35 foot yacht with two men and two women aboard suffered engine failure in rough seas six miles south west of Sidmouth.
As the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat was still afloat it was agreed with coastguards that the crew should meet the independent Sidmouth Rescue vessel on scene and tow the crippled yacht to Lyme Regis Harbour, its original destination.
The yacht, Seabreeze Too, had been en-route to Lyme Regis from Torquay.
At 1525 Sidmouth Rescue passed the yacht on tow to the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat which arrived in harbour at 1726.
The Lyme Regis crew members, who covered an area of 32 miles for the second rescue, were helmsman Dave Street, John Broome and Andrew Rice.
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat rescues divers as their boat breaks down
Five divers were rescued by the RNLI lifeboat at Lyme Regis today (August 7th) after their boat lost its steering and began to drift. Portland coastguards called for the lifeboat to be launched when they were told the dive boat, Scoundrel, a rigid inflatable, was drifting away from the
divers who were all submerged.
The lifeboat was launched at 1350 and was on scene 1.3 miles south of Lyme Regis harbour twelve minutes later.
Three of the divers had surfaced when the lifeboat arrived and two more surfaced a few minutes later.
All five divers were taken by the lifeboat to Lyme Regis harbour. None needed medical attention.
The lifeboat then returned to the dive boat and towed it – and its crew of two – to the safety of Lyme Regis Harbour. The operation was completed at 1455.
The RNLI lifeboat crew was James Rice, helm, Mark Colley and John Gage.
Hundreds see the Lerret launch as Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat Week raises £16,000
Hundreds packed the harbour and beach at Lyme Regis on Saturday to watch the ceremonial launch of a replica of one of the first lifeboats to be used by the RNLI in 1830.
The boat, a lerrett, was built at the Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy by traditional wooden boat builder Gail McGarva. The launch of the 17 foot double ended clinker boat came the day before the end of one of the most successful Lyme Regis and Charmouth Weeks.
After the naming, Littlesea, and the obligatory bottle of champagne and the throwing of sea salt, the vessel was rowed in procession out of the harbour with the town’s RNLI lifeboat, Pearl of Dorset, leading the way.
The flotilla included the new lerret followed by Vera, a lerret built in 1923 and two Cornish Pilot gigs also built by Gail McGarva. The lerret, which takes four rowers, is exclusive to the Dorset coast and originates from 1682 when it was used for mackerel fishing.
The RNLI used two lerrets as lifeboats in 1830 because of their superb seaworthiness.
Provisional figures released last night (Sunday, August 1st) show receipts in the region of £16,000 for Lyme Regis and Charmouth Lifeboat week. Chairman of the local Guild, Rob Michael said: ”Times are difficult financially, but as usual everyone was very generous. “Our figures may be a little lower than last year, but this the first time in five years that
I have not had to rearrange events because of bad weather. The sun shone nearly all week.”
Three men in a boat rescued by Lyme Regis RNLI
Three men in a broken down fishing boat were rescued today (July 31st) by the crew of the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat.
The 14 foot vessel lost power south of Golden Cap. The lifeboat, which launched at 1512, towed the fishing boat, called Bluebell, to the safety of Lyme Regis harbour.
22July 2010 RNLI lifeboat replica from the 1830s to be launched at Lyme Regis
A replica of one of the first lifeboats used by the RNLI is to be launched at Lyme Regis as one of the highlights of the town’s Lifeboat Week.
The week starts on Saturday, July 24th and one of the first events is a welcome display by the RNLI Lyme Regis crew and their lifeboat the Pearl of Dorset.
A week later at 11-30am on July 31st a boat known as a lerret will be launched after months of work by traditional wooden boatbuilder Gail McGarva. Gail is currently applying the finishing touches to the boat.
The lerret is a 17foot double ended clinker vessel which takes four rowers and is wholly native to Lyme Bay, originating from 1682. It was mainly used for mackerel fishing, but in the 1830s the then newly-formed RNLI adopted two lerrets for service as lifeboats due to their remarkable sea worthiness.
The launch on July 31st will be accompanied by two gigs, also built by Gail, plus the only remaining seaworthy lerret, a boat called Vera dating from 1923. The Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat will also join in the celebrations.
Gail won a scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, funded by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, to build the lerret.
Lifeboat launched to ‘women trapped by tide’
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat was launched last night (July 14th) after coastguards received a report that two women were cut off by the tide under cliffs near Burton Bradstock.
The lifeboat assisted the coastguard helicopter and coastguards ashore until it was established that the two women had made their own way to safety at Freshwater. The lifeboat had launched at 8.24pm and was at sea in rough conditions for 75 minutes.
Lifeboat crew prepare to take on the ladies – in a gig race
CREW MEMBERS of the RNLI lifeboat in Lyme Regis are preparing to make history on two counts...they will be taking part in the first gig race against female rowers during Lifeboat Week. And for the first time for well over a century a lifeboat crew will ROW a boat in Lyme Bay.
Records show that a lifeboat was already in existence in Lyme Regis when the RNLI was formed in 1824. In 1853 the first purpose-built lifeboat arrived in the town...it could be rowed or sailed.
The race is scheduled for 4pm on Sunday July 25th and the lifeboat crew will row a gig in a race over 1.2miles from near Charmouth to the harbour. Their opponents will be the Ladies Veterans crew from the successful Lyme Regis Gig Club.
The RNLI crew had their first close look at a gig - and met the ladies – during their training session last Tuesday (July 6th)
Gig Club chairman Marcus Dixon said: ”We think it will be a fair contest.
Our ladies have the technique, and the men from the lifeboat crew have the strength. Each gig will have a crew of six and a cox. The RNLI team will have a cox supplied by the gig club.
“We hope to give the lifeboatmen a training session before the race. It should all be great fun.”
One lifeboat crew member said: ”It will be a daunting challenge for us. We are used to having the assistance of powerful engines, and using oars is something else entirely. Needless to say, we will be going all out to beat the ladies.”
Lyme Regis Gig Club is three years old and has 150 members. The club has three Cornish Pilot Gigs and is now raising money for a fourth.
It’s hoped the Lifeboat Week race with the RNLI will become an annual event.
2010– LB 662 Lifeboat crew in early morning ‘shout’
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew were alerted in the early hours of today (July 7) at the request of police trying to trace a missing man.
Police asked for help when it was feared the man may have fallen into the harbour. After being called at 3-24a.m. the crew stood down, without launching, six minutes later when the man was found safe ashore.
Lifeboat crew called to ‘round Britain’ sailor
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat was launched last night (Thurs. June 17) to assist a lone sailor whose outboard engine had failed.
The man is reportedly attempting to sail round Britain in his 16 foot Gull class dinghy and was believed to be in difficulties between West Bexington and Cogden Beach.
The lifeboat, which reached the dinghy 15 miles east of Lyme Regis at 2058, found it had anchored with its occupant planning to sleep.
Portland coastguards stood the lifeboat down and the crew returned to Lyme Regis at 2130.
14th June 2010 Two rescued in crippled dinghy
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat was called out for the second time in the day to-night (Mon June 14) to rescue two men aboard a broken down dinghy.
The outboard engine of the 14 foot dinghy broke down one mile off Eype. The lifeboat, which was launched at 2101, towed the dinghy to safety at Eype Mouth.
The launch was the 14th ‘shout’ for the volunteer Lyme Regis RNLI crew so far this year.
14th June 2010: Lifeboat and coastguards rescue man on cliff
Teamwork involving a Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew and eight Coastguard Rescue Officers resulted in the rescue of a man cut off by the tide 300 feet above the beach on cliffs at Black Venn.
The lifeboat was launched at 0905 today (Mon June 14th) to assist coastguards after a 55 year old man had used his mobile phone to call for help.
A coastguard team was in touch by phone with the man throughout, but asked the lifeboat crew to help in spotting him from the sea.
The RNLI volunteers located the man and were able to guide the coastguards to him. The man, who said he had been looking for fossils, was uninjured.
Coastguard Station Officer Graham Turner said:” Without the lifeboat crew our job would have been a good deal more difficult. This was another example of teamwork between the two volunteer groups.”
9th June 2010: Lyme Regis RNLI crew in rescue of ‘distressed’ woman
A Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew today joined police and coastguards in a search for a missing 31 year old woman reported to be in a distressed condition.
The lifeboat was launched at 1722 and swept a wide area before spotting the woman sitting at the water’s edge at the base of cliffs at Black Venn. Helmsman James Rice took the lifeboat close to rocks before his brother, crew member Andrew Rice, swam ashore to speak to the woman.
Andrew and the woman then waded back to the lifeboat. Andrew said:” When I reached her she was wet, cold and confused.” The lifeboat returned the woman to Lyme Regis harbour where she was met by police and later taken to hospital.
Lyme Regis RNLI Deputy Launching Authority Garry Gibbs said: ”This was by no means a normal situation for our volunteer lifeboat crew, and they dealt with the matter in a very professional and caring way.”
The third member of the lifeboat crew was Martin Croad.
2nd June 2010: Lyme Regis RNLI crew rescue two in sailing boat
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew rescued two people last night (Weds 2nd June) when their sailing vessel developed engine trouble. There was no wind when the 24 foot yacht’s engine broke down and Portland coastguards asked
the RNLI crew to launch at 20.27.
The yacht, Trade Winds, was nearly three miles south of Beer Head. One lifeboat crew member went on board the yacht to assist towing the vessel. The lifeboat, with the yacht in tow, reached the safety of Lyme Regis harbour at 22.20.
Lyme Regis RNLI crew trained to tackle flood disasters
Three members of the crew of the RNLI’s Lyme Regis lifeboat have just returned from Wales after being trained to join a Flood Rescue Team to tackle major incidents in the UK or abroad.
The three volunteers – Martin Croad, 30, Tim Edwards,33, and Elliott Herbert, 31,- spent five days (last week) at a white water centre near Bala Lake in Snowdonia on a course to train them as what are known as Swift Water Rescue Technicians.
They could now be called upon to join a team of 20 RNLI crew members to tackle disasters such as that which struck Cockermouth in November last year.
Martin, Tim and Elliott joined other crewmen from the south division of the RNLI on the course which dealt with issues such as river searching, body recovery, rope rigging, rescue from sunken cars, dams, waterfalls and weirs. The RNLI has three flood rescue teams each consisting of up to twenty members, and they rotate their state of
readiness.
At Cockermouth, along with other emergency services, they rescued 300 people using nine lifeboats which had been transported to the area.
Each team has to be trained with an inshore lifeboat – such as the Lyme Regis vessel –and includes an HGV driver, fork lift driver, first aider, a paramedic or doctor and someone with previous experience in disaster relief.
Tim Edwards, a helmsman with the Lyme Regis lifeboat, said: ”We all found the course extremely tough...hard work, but good fun, and we learned a lot.
“It was a real eye opener to see how much damage a relatively small amount of river water can do.
“The conditions on the river were entirely difference to the situations we find at sea.
“The power of swift water in a river is just relentless.”
Rob Fossett, Lifeboat Operations Manager in Lyme Regis, said: ”All three of our crew members have returned with new and important skills. They have learned good team practices and I am delighted they did so well on the course.”
Fishing boat towed to safety by Lyme Regis RNLI as engine fails
Three men in a fishing boat were rescued by a Lyme Regis RNLI crew to-night (Monday May 24th) when their vessel’s engine failed.
The men were fishing off Black Venn when their 17 foot open fishing boat developed problems. They attracted the attention of a woman ashore who called the coastguard.
The lifeboat was launched at 2115 at the request of Portland coastguard. The fishing boat, with the three men aboard, was towed to the safety of Lyme Regis harbour in an operation lasting some 45 minutes.
RNLI Lyme Regis lifeboat launched to assist ‘raft’
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat was launched at 1600 today (April 21st) following reports of a ‘raft’- with one man aboard - in difficulties off Charmouth.
The lifeboat went alongside and assisted the ‘raft’ to the safety of Charmouth beach where the vessel and its owner were met by coastguards.
RNLI crew receive £2,000 cheque as a ‘shout’ comes in
RNLI lifeboat crew members at Lyme Regis had just been presented with a £2,000 cheque for the charity today (Sunday) when their pagers went off calling them out on a ‘shout.’
The presentation, at the Royal Oak, Charmouth, involved several of the crew who immediately returned to the lifeboat station to assist when a speedboat called for help off Golden Cap.
A flare was fired when the 15foot speedboat – Forever 19 with two men aboard – developed engine trouble.
The Lyme Regis-based Huntress 2 was first on the scene, but the lifeboat took the broken down boat in tow and returned to the town’s harbour.
Crew members had gone to the Charmouth pub to receive the £2,000 donation which was the proceeds of the annual Christmas Day swim.
Lifeboat launched to cliff ‘jumpers’
Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat was launched last night (Thursday April 8) after coastguards were told two men had jumped from cliffs at Beer Head.
However, soon after the launch at 1936, coastguards called off the alert when it was reported that the two men were base jumpers and had landed safely on the beach.
2010 LB550 Fisherman rescued after falling into Lyme Regis Harbour
A FISHERMAN who lost his footing and fell into the harbour was rescued today (Monday) by the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat crew.
Pete Ward,58, slipped as he stepped out of his dinghy to board the fishing boat Pegasus.
Harbourmaster Grahame Forshaw called the coastguard after another fisherman alerted him.
The lifeboat was launched – for the first time this year – at 0957.
Mr Ward was brought safely ashore by the lifeboat at 1003 and did not need treatment.
He said:”I simply lost my footing. The lifeboat crew were with me very quickly and I am very grateful for their help.”
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'Shout' is at www.youtube.com/rnlishout
