Drama at RNLI open day
REAL-LIFE drama unfolded during an RNLI Open Day when the lifeboats were launched to four emergencies, on Sunday.
By the end of the weekend, the Hayling crew had answered their 84th emergency call – surpassing their 2008 total of 81 tasks in a shade under seven months.
The Hayling Island Lifeboat Station threw open its doors to hundreds of visitors, who came to look around the recently-extended building.
They were able to watch demonstrations by the voluntary lifeboat crew of the launch and recovery of the two inshore lifeboats - the Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Derrick Battle, and the smaller D Class lifeboat, Amanda, James & Ben.
During the first display at 11.30am, when the lifeboats were showing their manoeuvrability in front of the station, the large crowd watch the D Class lifeboat move quickly away when its crew noticed a high performance racing dinghy had been capsized for some while near West Wittering.
The dinghy had broken equipment and the sailor was taken onboard the lifeboat and his dinghy was towed back to the Sandy Point station.
The fun activities continued during the day with the visitors enjoying the demonstrations, guided tours around the station, displays and children's activities, including model lifeboats on a pool.
But the fun for the lifeboat crew quickly changed to full action stations when the Atlantic 85 – which was officially inaugurated back in April after some two months on station - was quickly launched on three separate occasions in response to distress calls from yachts in the vicinity.
One went aground on a sand bank with a rope around its propeller, another's power steering failed and the other had a jammed rudder.
On each occasion, the yachts were towed by the lifeboat to safety in choppy sea conditions.
The Coastguard has launched a Sea Smart campaign to help tourists stay safe this summer.
The weather may have taken a turn for the worse in the last week or so, but coastguards on the south coast believe temperatures will improve through July and August, leading to record numbers of visitors to beaches at Hayling Island, Southsea, and Stokes Bay.
So the emergency service is calling for visitors to follow its advice to stay safe at the seaside:
Consider visits to beaches with lifeguards where advice and help in an emergency will be available
Spot potential dangers
Don't go alone
Find and read safety signs
In an emergency, stick your hand up and shout, tell a lifeguard, or dial 999 for the Coastguard.
Coastguard South Coast manager Andy Roberts said: "Most people will have a great day at the coast and we want everyone to have fun and keep safe by following just a few simple rules, so and get out there and enjoy."
COASTGUARDS have also asked for advance warnings from people setting off Chinese lanterns and fireworks.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said people should contact them first if they are taking Chinese lanterns to the beach at dusk.
The request comes after alarms were raised around the UK coastline about strange lights in the air.
In June there was a mystery surrounding strange glowing lights in the night sky above Hayling. Some worried callers thought they were emergency flares, others that they were UFOs.
A number of reports came in to the Coastguard about orange orbs but they were Chinese lanterns let off on the seafront.
A spokesman for the MCA said: "We experience this problem with firework displays too and encourage organisers to inform us of their intentions so we know the likely source of red flare sightings."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hayling
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
