End of an Era - Crew rescue an Injured Dog - Call out in the early hours - Teenager Cut Off by Tide - Mayday from fishing boat - Big Swim Update - Join our Operational Rescue Team!

Wednesday, 04 January 2012 2012/001

Tuesday night was pitch black with driving rain and howling windsalong the Weston-super-Mare shore. When the call came the volunteer crew of the RNLI station launched to investigate a possible vessel in distress.

At 21:00 hrs it was dark with few lights around. The rain, beingdriven horizontally onto the land by the wind, made visibility even worse. Apolice patrol on Weston shore saw a flashing light out at sea in the BristolChannel, between Birnbeck Island and Steep Holm Island. It did not have theregular flash of one of the navigation marks which are always lit at night.Also it seemed to respond to their attempts to communicate by torch, therebycreating a real concern that a casualty was either in the sea or on a vesseland in difficulty. The police were not sure what it was. As it could have beena vessel in distress they contacted Swansea Coastguard, which is responsiblefor this area. Swansea Coastguard summoned the local coastguard unit who couldalso see the light but were also unsure of its origin. As a result Swanseacontacted the Launching Authority for Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboat station.

The Volunteer crew were paged and reported to the boathouse onBirnbeck Island. This involved the quarter of a mile run across the derelictpier straight into rain and wind which was gusting strongly. The Atlantic 75lifeboat was launched within ten minutes of the pagers being actuated. Althougha powerful twin engine boat the Atlantic could only progress slowly through thesevere gale force conditions with breaking waves over 12 feet (3.5 m) inheight. It was completely dark with no moon or starlight which made seeing wellenough to steer the lifeboat difficult. However the crew managed to get to theposition reported from the land.

On arrival at the position a thorough search found no casualty,but reported that a Waverider Buoy fitted with a Quick Flashing Light waslocated near the original reported casualty position. It was thought that thehigh waves had obscured the light at times making it look as if it wassignalling. After consultation with Swansea Coastguard it was agreed that thesearch should be called off. It is believed that the flashing light was in factthe Waverider Buoy

The lifeboat returned to Birnbeck Island with some difficulty butwas recovered and made ready for service by 2310 hrs.

RNLI Helmsman Liam McDermott said; 'Although the conditions outthere were appalling that is what we train for and that is why we have thelifeboats and equipment to deal with it. It may have been what we call a "FalseAlarm with Good Intent" but we would rather go out and check for ourselves thanpossibly leave anyone out at sea who needs us.'

The same crew who went out that night will be taking part in afund raising Rowathon, outside Sainsburys in Worle on Saturday 28th January.

Tuesday, 08 November 2011

11 year old swims 5000 metres for the RNLI

Liam Edwards from Solihull, although aged only 11, swam 5000 metres to raise fundsfor the RNLI. He was invited down to Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboat station topresent the cheque. Liam Edwards, age 11, from Langley Senior School, Olton, isa keen swimmer. Encouraged by his grandfather, Barry Maynard, who swam withhim, he decided
to do a sponsored swim in aid of the RNLI. He achieved his goal in a local swimmingpool and collected a sum of £160 from his friends and family.

Liam was invited down to the Lifeboat station on Birnbeck Island so he could seewhat the volunteers of the RNLI do and so he could present the cheque to theWeston Lifeboat Operations Manger.
He was escorted over the old pier to the station where he first of all dressedup in the dry suit, lifejacket and helmet used by the RNLI crews. The dry suitwas a bit big for him but he enjoyed trying it out! Then he was allowed to sitin the Atlantic 75 lifeboat while it was on dry land. Several of the volunteercrew posed with him for pictures.

After a full tour of the station he then presented his cheque to the LifeboatOperations Manager Pete Holder and the Deputy Launching Authority, RichardSpindler.
Pete Holder said; 'It is great to see that the younger generation, even if theylive far inland, understand the need to support us. Every penny counts and Liamis a fine example of the best of today's youth.'
Liam's grandfather was delighted with the way Liam was treated by the RNLI andsaid; 'This is one of the best days of his life. We plan to swim 5 miles nexttime and it will certainly be in aid of the RNLI again.'

Weston-super-Mare RNLI follows the success

of its Lifeboat Week with the annual Lifeboat

Pull

Saturday 27th August 2011

For many years, following the custom in many seaside towns, Weston-super-Mare RNLI Lifeboat volunteers have towed a lifeboat along the sea front promenade to raise funds for the charity's work of saving lives at sea. This year the Lifeboat Pull will take place at midday on Sunday 28th August 2011 along Weston-super-Mare promenade.

It is a constant battle to raise the funds needed to keep the lifeboats, their volunteer crews and their lifeboat stations working. Weston has just had its first Lifeboat Week which helped towards this cause.

Last year the Lifeboat Pull raised £926 from generous tourists and townsfolk who recognise the value of the local lifeboat services.

Pulling a Lifeboat through the town has been happening as long as there have been lifeboats. It shows the public what a lifeboat looks like and gives them the opportunity to throw coins into the boat as a means of showing their support for the volunteers who give their time for the sake of others. It is also a reflection of some of the impressive feats of RNLI volunteers over the years.

During the RNLI's long history there have been several notable incidents where a lifeboat has been pulled. In 1881 the Whitby lifeboat was hauled 10 miles overland to Robin Hood's Bay to rescue the crew of the brig Visitor.

Nearer home, in 1899, the Louisa, theLynmouthLifeboat, was pulled through the streets and then over Exmoor to rescue the Forrest Hall, a 1,900 ton ship with a crew of 13 men and 5 apprentices, on its way from Bristol to Liverpool. The storm force winds prevented any launch atLynmouthitself. This meant using whatever horses and men could be obtained to haul the boat and its carriage (which together weighed about 10 tons) the distance of 13 miles, including climbing up the 1 in 4½CountisburyHill, reaching a height of 1,423 feet above sea level, and later taking it down the 1 in 4PorlockHill. The lifeboat was pulled over the moors, launched atPorlockHarbour, and all the crew of the vessel in distress were saved.

In 1914 the people of Whitby once again pulled a lifeboat over two miles through the town and along the cliff top before lowering it 250 feet down the cliff to help with the rescue of the hospital shipRohilla. In 1940 the women ofNewbiggin, in Northumberland, pulled the lifeboat 1.5 miles over the moors to rescue the crew of the Eminent.

These days the Pull is done in less strenuous circumstances. On Sunday 28th August, a "D" Class inshore lifeboat (the type which carries out 60% of all RNLI rescues) will be pulled by volunteers along the promenade. They will be assisted by the Town Mayor, Councillor Cyril King.

The First Pull will start at the RNLI Shop and Heritage Centre at Anchor Head at midday. The boat will be pulled as far as the Tropicana,

Following theLynmouthPull in 1899 four of the horses died from their exertions. Let's hope the volunteers pulling the Weston lifeboat fare better!

There will be a second Pull in the afternoon.

Weston-super-mare RNLI Lifeboats respond to a Mayday emergency call from a yacht in danger in the middle of the Bristol Channel

14th August 2011

The conditions were treacherous with strong winds and vicious tides. A sailing boat had lost her rudder in the Bristol Channel. Unable to steer she was drifting helplessly so she put out a distress call which was picked up by Swansea Coastguard.

WESTON RNLI Lifeboat volunteers were paged by Swansea Coastguard at ten to three on Sunday afternoon. A sailing boat out of Pill on the River Avon had lost its rudder while near the Tail Patch Buoy to the north west of the island of Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel. The vessel had put out a Mayday emergency call. The two lifeboats from Birnbeck Island, Weston-super-Mare, were launched and proceeded as quickly as possible to the casualty. The wind was strong and there were seas of over six feet high making progress slow.

The relief Atlantic lifeboat was the first to arrive, closely followed by the D Class lifeboat Anna Stock. On arrival at the stricken yacht, the Mudlark II, it was found that it had been anchored to stop it drifting into danger. On board were a crew of three, two men and a woman. The lifeboat put one of its crew on board to assist in handling the vessel. As some of the crew of the casualty were feeling sea sick they were transferred to the Atlantic 75 while the tow was organised. It was decided to tow the vessel to Portishead Marina as the tide was too low to bring her into Weston Bay.

The yacht did not have strong fittings so a bridle was fashioned by the lifeboat crew around her winches to ensure the tow would not damage the yacht. The sea conditions were so bad, with both the casualty and the lifeboat bouncing in the waves, that it proved impossible to retrieve the anchor. As a result the anchor cable was cut to enable the lifeboat to start the tow.

Once the tow started it became apparent that it was difficult to keep the casualty going in the right direction because a bridle had had to be used and she had no rudder. At first they tried to keep her in a straight line using a five gallon can as a drogue but this was unsuccessful so the smaller D Class lifeboat took a rope to the stern of the yacht to steady her. This worked well and they travelled up towards Portishead. Once they passed Clevedon the sea conditions eased and it became easier to conduct the tow. It would still have take the Weston RNLI lifeboats some time to reach Portishead and they would have been out of their area for too long. As a result the Portishead independent Lifeboat was called out by Swansea Coastguard to take over the tow. The two Weston RNLI lifeboats were then able to return to their station and made ready after a service lasting over four hours.

RNLI Helmsman Pete Watts said; 'The crew of the casualty were very apologetic for calling us out on a Sunday afternoon. I told them that this is what we are here for.

An emergency VHF radio call on the opening day of Weston RNLI Lifeboat Week shows what the money raised is used for

Sunday, 31 July 2011

Saturday was the first day of Weston-super-Mare Lifeboat week. An eight day celebration of our lifeboats and their crews combined with a flurry of fund raising activities. Just as the fundraisers and crew where relaxing after a hectic day a PAN PAN Call was received by Swansea coastguard who immediately paged the volunteer crew.

The High Street of Weston and its Italian Gardens were full of holiday makers, townsfolk doing their shopping and dedicated fundraisers and crew from the RNLI station. There were competitions, quizzes, and a karaoke, with hand painting for the children. Street dancing and fitness experts showed the tourists how to improve their health while a reflexologist helped them relax. The public could view a lifeboat and crew were there to explain what they do. This activity is vital for the RNLI, as a charity, to raise money to provide the equipment, lifeboats and crew kit needed to provide the 24 hour a day, 365 day a year service.

At 1952 hrs all had been cleared away for the night and those who had been helping were settling down to a well earned rest. However the yacht Tranquillity, in the strong tides of the Bristol Channel, was in trouble. There was very little wind so it was unable to sail. While motoring towards its home port of the River Axe, just south of Weston, white smoke came out of its engine room and the engine stopped. The skipper was unable restart his engine and realised that he was being carried by the tide down the Bristol Channel and unable save himself or his vessel. He sent out a PAN PAN call, the second most serious emergency call for help. This was picked up by Swansea Coastguard who, after assessing the situation, requested the launch of the Weston-super-Mare lifeboats. The crew were paged and both boats were in the water and making best speed to the casualty within ten minutes of the call.

The Atlantic 75 lifeboat Coventry & Warwickshire reached the yacht, one mile south of Flatholm Island, and put crewman Martin Fear on boat. He attached a tow rope and the casualty was towed to the River Axe. There it was placed alongside the Yacht Club Moorings until the engine could be repaired.

The lifeboats returned to their base on Birnbeck Island and were made ready for their next service. The activities of Lifeboat Week will continue until the Open Day on Sunday 7th. Who knows how many calls will be received by the crew in that time?

Helmsman Liam McDermott said: 'This call was fairly straightforward but many others are not. We can only do our job because of the funds raised by our fundraisers and the donations given by the public. We will all enjoy Lifeboat week but we also know why it is so important in our work of saving lives at sea.'

Lifeboat Stalwart recognised by

Weston-super-

Mare Town Mayor

Saturday, 28 May 2011

Pete Holder, Weston-super-Mare Lifeboat Operations Manager was presented with the Town Mayor's Award by Weston's Mayor in recognition of his long and meritorious service to the RNLI and to the Town.

Weston-super-Mare has had a volunteer RNLI lifeboat station since 1882. Since that time there have been many dedicated and heroic volunteers who have devoted themselves to the work of saving lives at sea in the Bristol Channel.

Pete Holder was born and brought up in Weston-super-Mare. He has been involved in water activities since a young lad and became a commercial fisherman and seaman in Weston holding a DTI Skippers certificate. In 1974 he was invited to join the Weston RNLI station and he served on the various lifeboats until 1991 when he had to retire due to age limits. He was almost immediately asked to serve as a Deputy Launching Authority having responsibility for deciding if the lifeboats would be launched when requested by the Coastguard.

Among the lifeboats he served on was the experimental early inshore lifeboat the McLachlan. This rigid hulled glass fibre boat served in Weston from 1970 to 1983 taking part in numerous and difficult rescues.

In 1995 Pete was asked to take on the role of Lifeboat Operations Manager. This meant full responsibility for all of Weston-super-Mare's RNLI activities. He has served in that role ever since taking control and ensuring that the service provided by the volunteer crews is of the highest standard and the crew themselves have training and support of the best possible quality. He has brought the station through all the numerous difficulties due to the problems of the derelict Birnbeck Pier on which the station is built.

Pete has also always been heavily committed to Weston town itself serving on Water and Sea safety committees. Everyone in the Town who knows the sea will know of Pete Holder.

The Mayor's award is given by each mayor, as they leave office, to an individual or organisation that the Mayor at the time feels is most note worthy. It is awarded for inspirational and dedicated work to the local community and their names are duly recorded on the Town Mayor's Roll of Honour.

This year's retiring Mayor is Councillor Philip Judd, himself an ex RNLI lifeboatmen.

Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboats save

yacht being blown onto rocks at Brean

Down

Sunday, 15 May 2011 2011/008

The tide was running rapidly and an easterly wind was making life difficult for sailing boats in the Bristol Channel on Bank Holiday Monday evening. One yacht found it could not cope with the conditions and was being blown into danger. Accordingly the crew issued a Mayday call which resulted in the Weston-super-Mare volunteers being called out to rescue them.

Just before eight o'clock Swansea Coastguard received the Mayday call and paged the Weston RNLI Crew. Both Weston lifeboats were launched within ten minutes of the crew receiving the call. The Atlantic Class Coventry and Warwickshire was the first to launch, quickly followed by the D Class Anna Stock. They proceeded across Weston Bay to find the casualty, a 22 foot yacht called Jumping Jack Flash, near the rocks on the north side of Brean Down. On board were the owner and his dog. The yacht could not sail because the conditions were too rough and the yacht was not making any headway.

One of the RNLI crewmen was put on board the yacht to assess the situation and he quickly established that the engine was not powerful enough to stem the ebb tide and the wind. The Coventry and Warwickshire took the yacht in tow and all the vessels proceeded to the River Axe. Here the yacht was secured alongside the Yacht Club pontoon where the owner and his dog could safely go ashore.

Both lifeboats then returned to the station after a service of over two hours..

RNLI Helmsman Paul Giles said; 'The Bristol Channel can be a difficult place to sail in at times. During the course of this evening, as well as our rescue, lifeboats from Barry Dock, Penarth and Burnham had been called out to other vessels in trouble. We do not mind having to launch if a skipper thinks he has a problem. We prefer to be called out early before the situation deteriorates and lives are put at risk.

Motor Cyclists drive round Britain for

Weston-super-Mare RNLI

Monday 25^th April 2011

Three local businessmen decided last week to drive their motorcycles from Weston-super-Mare to Lands Ends then to John O'Groats before returning home. All this in aid of Weston RNLI lifeboats and their volunteer crews

Westonians, Brian Horn, Paul Charalambous and Paul Ellis have been friends and keen motorcyclists for many years. Only a few days ago they came up with the idea of doing a long drive in aid of their favourite local charity. They had supported the RNLI before at various events but this was the first time they had thought of doing something by themselves in aid of the volunteers who crew Weston's two lifeboats.

The plan is to drive from Weston seafront to Land's End, then back to Bodmin for an overnight stop. They then drive via Cheltenham, Preston and Perth to John O'Groats. Then back via Inverness, Edinburgh and Doncaster arriving back in Weston on Saturday 30th. It is a trip of 1809 miles avoiding any motorways and they are taking an RNLI Lifeboat man teddy bear with them. They will be taking pictures of themselves with the teddy bear at all the stops.

They hope to raise large amounts of money for the RNLI via the site www.justgiving.com/andthentherewasthree

They left from the RNLI Shop and Heritage Centre at Anchor Head today Sunday 24th April at 1100 hrs. The bikes were two Triumph Speedmasters and a Suzuki Intruder.

Brian Horn said; 'It was important that whatever we do was for a local charity and all three of us have the utmost respect for the volunteers who go out in all weathers at all times of day or night to save lives at sea. We hope to make this challenge an annual event.'

87 year old Grandmother walks the Cotswold Way in aid of Weston-super-Mare RNLI Volunteer Crews

Sunday 31st January 2010

Ellen Bond, an 87 year old resident from the village of Locking outside Weston-super-Mare, set herself the challenge of walking the 102 miles of the Cotswold Way from Bath to Chipping Camden in a fortnight.

Mrs Bond is a long time supporter of the RNLI, knowing how important is their work of saving lives at sea. She set off from Bath Abbey on August 11th 2010 with her daughter and son-in-law Hilary and Bob Winterson. On the first day she managed 10 miles. On each subsequent day she kept going, achieving a similar distance depending on the weather. From the sponsorships she had secured Mrs Bond raised £3833.59.

Ellen said; 'It was heavy going in places but I enjoyed doing it. I now want to see if I can do Land's End to John O'Groats!'

On Sunday Mrs Bond came down to the RNLI station at Birnbeck Island to present the money. She was fascinated by the lifeboats and enjoyed her visit even though she could not go on parts of the Pier because of its dangerous state.

Mr Peter Holder Weston-super-Mare Lifeboat manager said; 'This was a magnificent effort for which we are truly grateful. I just hope I am as sprightly as you when I get to 87!'

Weston-super-Mare Row-a-thon a great success

Saturday 29^th January 2011

On Saturday 29 the crew of Weston-super-Mare RNLI Lifeboat station and the members of the Weston Fund Raising branch came together to hold a Row-a-thon on Weston's Grand Pier. This was their contribution to the RNLI National SOS Day appeal. The day raised well over £1000 for the charity

Olympic standard rowing machines were provided by Freak Events and Shaun Callaghan the Welsh, Irish and Scottish champion at indoor rowing. The event was started off by Shaun and the Weston MP and Minister for Tourism, Mr John Penrose who both had a go at rowing.

Then the volunteer crew and members of the fundraising branch took turns with members of the public to have a go to see how far they could row in five minutes. The event was from 10 in the morning until 5 pm. Everyone who rowed paid a small donation to the RNLI. Altogether 73 people took part and the total distance rowed during the day was 97.14 km which was just over the target of the distance from Weston to Ilfracombe which had been the set in advance.

Thanks to the generosity of the Pier owners, collections were also made of passers by.

The total amount collected was £1030 which was past the target we had set ourselves.

Weston-super-Mare Lifeboat Operations Manager, Mr Pete Holder said; 'Although the weather was cold it was heartening to see how many people turned up to have a go at rowing. It was also gratifying to see the total amount raised as this will help towards training our volunteer crews.'

End of an Era

Tuesday 30th November 2010

On Monday night, theWeston-super-Mare fundraising branch said Goodbye to its retiring chair Andy Clapp. During the ceremony Andy receievd a number of commemorative gifts and also took recipt of a check for £1500 for the RNLI.

Over 60 fundraisers, friends and lifeboat crew from Weston RNLI attended a surprise presentation at the Claremont Vaults for Mr Andy Clapp who was retiring after 11 years on the committee and nine years as its chairman.

Don Sutherland, chair of the RNLI Coordinating Committee presented Andy with a voucher for £200 donated by members of the local branch as their personal tribute. He described how Andy had brought together many helpers both for the RNLI shop and for general fundraising; how Andy's cheerful but effective management style had quadrupled the amount raised by Weston RNLI during his tenure.

Mr Pete Holder, Lifeboat Operations Manager for Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboat station on Birnbeck Island, presented him with a framed picture and said: 'We on the crew are well aware that we could not have the equipment and training we need to save lives at sea if it was not for the work of the fundraisers.'

The Town Mayor, Councillor Philip Judd, once a lifeboat man himself, and his wife Mrs Wendy Judd, presented Andy with a plate from Weston Town Council. The accompanying card read "In recognition of your work with the RNLI fundraising section. With grateful thanks from the Town Mayor and Mayoress, Weston Town Council and the people of Weston-super-Mare.

Andy then gave a short speech on how he had enjoyed his time, particularly working with so many friends for such a marvellous, vital and inspiring institution. As his last act as chair he then took receipt of a cheque for £1500 on behalf of the RNLI. The money had been raised by John and Elaine Flanagan of the Claremont Vaults who held an evening at which the Songs from the Shows troupe had given a special performance for the RNLI without charge.

RNLI Rescue an Injured Dog

Tuesday 16th November 2010

A Labrador dog fell over a 35 foot high cliff injuring its eye and breaking a leg. Its owner could not reach it so the Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboat was called. The dog was carried in the lifeboat to the lifeboat station where it was seen by a vet and reunited with it owner.

The dog, Ellie, a golden Labrador was out walking with her owner on Monday morning. She chased a bird and in doing so fell over the cliff at Sand Point on the Bristol Channel. She landed in the sea but the tide was going out so she was soon marooned on rocks. There was no way she could get back up nor could her owner reach her. He called the coastguard who paged the lifeboat crew. Within ten minutes they had launched their D Class inshore lifeboat Anna Stock and proceeded to the scene.

On arrival they found the dog limping badly and with a gash around the eye but otherwise apparently well. The tide was ebbing fast so they gently carried Ellie to their lifeboat and very carefully set off back to their station on Birnbeck Island. There helpers carried the dog ashore and along the pier to where she was reunited with her owner. The Coastguard had arranged a vet to attend. She felt that although the leg would have to be set and the wounds dressed, Ellie should make a full recovery.

RNLI Helmsman Andrew Stone said: It is not unusual of us to be called to rescue pets. We do so not only to save the animals life to also to avoid the owners trying to do the rescue themselves and in so doing getting themselves into dangerous situations. We always advise dog walkers to keep their animals on a lead when they are near cliffs or other dangerous areas.

Called out in the early hours

Friday 29th October 2010

For the second time in 24 hrs Weston Lifeboats were launched to look for persons reported at risk in the sea. On Thursday the search was fruitless. This time a distressed person as found in danger off Weston beach and rescued.

It was two o'clock in the morning when Swansea coastguard received a report that a person was walking into the sea near Weston-super-mare Grand Pier. The RNLI volunteers were called from their beds and both lifeboats were launched within ten minutes and conducted a search along the sea shore. The tide was out and it was blowing a strong breeze.

The Atlantic 75 lifeboat Coventry and Warwickshire sighted the casualty and directed the D Class lifeboat Anna Stock to the person. On arrival one female was found in the mud 40 metres from the water's edge. The casualty was disorientated and in distress. Two of the crew members entered the water and mud to assist the casualty into the lifeboat.

It was decided it was impractical to land her ashore in their present position and the tide was too far out to land at Knightstone Harbour. As a result she was taken in the lifeboat to the RNLI Station on Birnbeck Island. There she was warmed up, given a hot drink and dry clothes before being handed her over to the care of ambulance personnel. The crew were able to return to their beds at 0430 hrs.

The casualty, although distressed, was very grateful for the calm, friendly and efficient way she had been rescued. She was astounded that the RNLI crew had come out for her in the middle of the night even though they were unpaid volunteers.

Big Swim - update and more pictures!

28th October 2010

For more updates - check out the Fundraising News page!

Teenager cut off by tide

Thursday 21st October 2010

A young man was out walking at the end of Brean Down in the Bristol Channel. He did not realise the strength of the tide nor the speed with which it comes in. As a result he became stranded on rocks as the tide arose around him. The two Weston-super-Mare lifeboats were launched to rescue him.

At teatime on Wednesday the alarm was raised by Swansea coastguard that the young man was stranded and in danger of being overwhelmed by the rapidly rising water. The Weston-super-Mare RNLI volunteers were paged and launched both boats within eight minutes.

They arrived at the end of Brean Down to find the youth standing on the rocks. He was cold and anxious but otherwise unharmed. The D Class lifeboat Anna Stock was able to get in to the rocks and the crew helped the man into the boat. He was treated to prevent hypothermia and taken the Brean beach where he was handed over to the local coastguard. After some advice about the strength of tides he was well enough to go home.

RNLI Helmsman Andy Stone said; "He was not in immediate danger but the cold is an insidious thing. It would have made him seriously ill and even made him lose consciousness if we had not reached him. Anyone out walking in this area needs to understand the tides and be well dressed to prevent potential hypothermia."

Mayday from Fishing Boat

Monday 11th October 2010

On Monday both Weston-super-Mare RNLI lifeboats took part in saving a broken down commercial fishing boat in danger of being driven onto the rocks.

Swansea Coastguard received a faint Mayday signal on the VHF radio at 11:20 on Monday. It transpired that a vessel had lost all power and was drifting towards Pig Beach near the mouth of the River Axe in Weston Bay. The wind was gusting to Force 7 which is a Near Gale, and the Spring Tide was very strong.

The volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews where paged. Despite access to their station on Birnbeck Island being difficult due to the clear up after the demolition of the burnt out Royal Pier Hotel they managed to launch both lifeboats within nine minutes of the call.

On arrival at the River Axe, the D Class RNLI lifeboat Anna Stock found the disabled vessel being held off the rocks by a local boatman who was an off duty member of the lifeboat crew. The vessel was a 22 foot local commercial fishing boat with an inboard diesel engine. She had apparently had a fuel blockage. They took the line from the boatman and held the vessel in safe water until the Atlantic 75 lifeboat Coventry and Warwickshire arrived.

This larger lifeboat took the casualty in tow and brought her up the river to its moorings. The Anna Stock then took off the crew of the casualty and took them ashore to be handed over to the local coastguard.

RNLI Helmsman Liam McDermott said, "The wind and tides made handling the boats quite difficult but we were able to save both the casualty vessel and her crew. The two fishermen were well prepared with lifejackets, flares and a VHF radio. This incident just goes to show how easy it is for even the most experienced locals to get into a difficult situation quickly."

Join our Operational rescue team

Imagine for a moment that you have gone out for the evening for a meal with your best friends at your favourite pub / restaurant. The waiter has just put your meal down in front of you and you have just taken the first bite of what promises to be a fantastic meal. Your pager goes off. You have to put down your knife and fork, forego your meal and time out with your mates and immediately head down to the lifeboat station to launch the lifeboat. A sailing vessel is in difficulties 3 miles out at sea!

And you still want to volunteer for this? Read More....