RNLI Lifeboats in rescue

Cornishman

Cornishman

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Torbay and Salcombe Lifeboats have been in action to take off the crew from a Greek registered ship which is in danger of capsizing in the Channel south of Start Point. One crew member with a broken leg was taken to hospital by helicopter.
Anyone living in the Southwest experiencing yesterday's gales can imagine how difficult this operation must have been.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Torbay and Salcombe Lifeboats have been in action to take off the crew from a Greek registered ship which is in danger of capsizing in the Channel south of Start Point. One crew member with a broken leg was taken to hospital by helicopter.
Anyone living in the Southwest experiencing yesterday's gales can imagine how difficult this operation must have been.

[/ QUOTE ]To give praise where praise's due, you might have mentioned that the majority of the ship's crew were actually rescued by the Coastguard helicopter.
 
This was not made clear in the initial reports to the press. It appears that Brixham CG made requests to the RNLI first and it was not until the ship's captain reported the man with a broken leg that the helicopter was launched.
The airmen faced the same extreme weather and sea conditions as the lifeboat crews and certainly deserve just as much praise for the successful rescue.

BTW your profile is particulary sparse - do you live in the Southwest?
 
I bet the Salcombe crew were wishing that they had their new toy already, and it wasn't up at Excel being shown off to LIBS visitors.....

Well done to all concerned - I definitely would not have wanted to be out there yesterday.

Rick
 
A ship lying dead in the water is the most difficult ship to safely go alongside. The list wont help either.

To get one person on or off in those conditions is difficult,to go back alongside several times to succesfully take off 8 people would have been a great feat of boat handling.You have to remember that the crew of the ship dont get much experience at this type of transfer this only adds to the difficulties.


I hope the Coxswain gets a mention in dispatches or whatever the RNLI equivalent is.All due respect to the Helicopter crew as well.
 
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