< Go Back Night time search in strong winds by RNLI Lifeboat Volunteers after the sighting of a ship’s liferaft Posted: Feb 22, 2021 Full scale search of the Irish Sea over 20 miles off the Fylde Coast
The Coastguard CGOC (Coastguard Operations Centre, Holyhead) received a report from the ferry Stena Embla of a ship s liferaft in the sea some twenty one miles west from the Fylde Coast. The near gale force wind and the large size of the ferry prevented any further investigation so the Coastguard immediately requested the Lytham St Annes Lifeboat launch at 5.02pm while the ferry continued on her regular run to Birkenhead. The Coastguard issued a Mayday call warning all vessels in the area to keep a look out for the raft.
The Lytham St Annes Station s All-weather Lifeboat Barbara Anne launched at 5.24pm with the Volunteer Crew under the command of Coxswain / Mechanic Andrew McHaffie and headed out to the reported position. The weather conditions on scene were atrocious with south east winds gusting at times to gale Force 8 and a sea swell over three metres (10 feet) high. The driving rain and hail combined with spray whipped up by the high wind made visibility very poor as the lifeboat started to search for the reported liferaft. With no sighting of the liferaft, the Barbara Anne , now joined in the search by the Coastguard helicopter Rescue 936 from Caernarfon and the gas rig support vessel VOS Endurance , began a parallel pattern search of the area up to 25 miles out from the coast in the estimated direction that the life-raft would have drifted. With no sign still of the liferaft, a second of the Sea Charity s lifeboats, the Kenneth James Pierpoint launched from Fleetwood at 8pm to join in and when eventually the Coastguard helicopter had to return to base for fuel, a Coastguard fixed wing aircraft Rescue 21 was deployed to assist.
Despite a thorough search of the area carried out in very difficult conditions and extremely poor visibility, nothing was found and the search was scaled down in stages, the Lytham boat being stood down to return to her station at 11.20pm. The search was terminated when the Fleetwood lifeboat was stood down at 1am (20th ) before arriving home for 3.30am..
Meanwhile the Barbara Anne was beached near the Thursby Home on North Beach at 1.30am (20th ) to be recovered and returned to her boathouse. It was still not time for the Volunteer Crew to get to their beds as washing off and refuelling the lifeboat and SLRS launching rig, and checking over all equipment then followed before they and the Shore Crew could return to their homes shortly after 3.15am (20th ) after a service lasting 10 hours.
Coxswain Andrew McHaffie later said, Unfortunately we had no sightings of the object, originally reported as a liferaft, in the atrocious conditions . He went on to thank the other searchers for their assistance and the Lytham St Annes Shore Crew who had turned out in the early hours to recover the lifeboat and make sure she was refuelled and ready for the next service.
The Sea Charity s two lifeboats, assisted by the other searchers, had covered the entire area in their long search.
David Forshaw (Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Press Officer)
photos
2) The Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Barbara Anne (in better weather launching from her SLRS combined tractor and carriage rig) (photo by Martin Fish)
RNLI media contacts - notes to editors Lytham St Annes lifeboat station was founded in 1851 Since then 9 medals for bravery have been awarded to Volunteer Crew members. To learn more about the station, please go to: www.lythamlifeboats.co.uk
or
www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/north/stations/LythamStAnnesLancashire/
RNLI media contacts For more information please contact David Forshaw, Lytham St Annes volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07904 685 206 [David_Forshaw@rnli.org.uk] or
Eleri Roberts, RNLI Area Media Officer on 07771941390 [Eleri_Roberts@rnli.org.uk]
or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
RNLI online
For more information on the RNLI please visitwww.rnli.org.uk . News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centrewww.rnli.org.uk/press
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI in normal years has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 139,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices
A charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SCO37736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland.
