The RNLI at it again.

[duncan99210]

It's not the RNLI who made the decisions about launching or not and about staying on station with the fishermen or not. It's the CG who made these decisions. The RNLI simply respond to request to launch from the CG and their philosphy is that they will always launch to a CG request provided the sea conditions are within their capability to do so. They will also remain on station for as long as the endurance of their craft permit at the request of the CG.

So if there is any 'blame' to be spread about to anyone other than the idiots who caused the shout in the first place it lies with the CG and, to my mind, it makes reasonable sense. If the RNLI had returned to base and then had the fishermen get into real difficulties, they would have had to launch all over again, possibly into worsening sea conditions. By remaining on station, they were in a position to help as and when required with no time lost to launch and travel times. Not the ideal solution but a reasonable compromise in the circumstances outlined in the BBC report.

I don't think that any of the agencies involved will have been looking over their shoulders to the lawyers. They, like mountain or cave rescue teams, take the attitiude that they are there to save lives if at all possible. If that means spending a afternoon babysitting ill prepared idiots then, as Cantata said, that's what they do.

 

[Boo2]

Good for the Lifeboat crews and good for the Coastguard.

Silly OP

Don't agree at all. If someone offers me help and I decline it then them standing around continually insisting on helping me after that is harrassment in my book, coastguard or RNLI or not. They should have gone home when they were told to IMHO. It's the lifeboat skipper's decision, not the coastguards anyway...

Boo2

 

[onesea]

Maybe the headline should read:

"Hand held VHF could have saved unnecessary lifeboat launch's".

The crunch is coastguard got reports of boat in difficulties, has to react (duty of care) launches lifeboats to start search.

Had said fishing boat had VHF one radio call could of saved unnecessary launch.

A slightly different spin same message???

 

[duncan99210]

Don't agree at all. If someone offers me help and I decline it then them standing around continually insisting on helping me after that is harrassment in my book, coastguard or RNLI or not. They should have gone home when they were told to IMHO. It's the lifeboat skipper's decision, not the coastguards anyway...

Boo2

If the CG ask the RNLI skipper to remain on station he will. The gist of the report was that one boat was stood down, the other asked to remain on station. Seems like a good call to me, given that the idiots at the root cause of this were in the wrong place at the wrong time with inadequate kit.

Now, if the RNLI has forceably detained the dinghy in question and towed it back to shore, I would be the first to agree that they'd overstepped the mark. But what did they do? They simply remained in the vicinity of the idiots until they finally returned to shore; is it not a free sea? Why shoudln't they stay there? Who was hurt by it? As I said, it's what they do.

 

[Woodlouse]

Seems like a good call to me, given that the idiots at the root cause of this were in the wrong place at the wrong time with inadequate kit.

Except said idiots were where they wanted to be, they weren't in difficulty and when they were done they made it back to port unaided.

The only party in the wrong here is the person who called the coastguard in the first place. Once out the Lifeboat could hardly leave them for risk of the backlash that would have occurred had something gone wrong. But at the same time good on the fishermen for refusing assistance they didn't need. The last thing we need is an RNLI that feels it can tow anyone home who they consider to be at risk.

 

[lefkasman]

proof reading ?

anyone notice the headline...

Birnbeck Island fishermen refuse lifeboat hope in rough seas.

Hope? of what, that they would go away and let them fish in peace

 

[ProMariner]

The decision to launch, and to keep a boat on scene, was the coastguard call, and the only allowable course of action for them.

The decision to put out the press release was the decision of the RNLI un-named 'spokesperson'.

The main failing of this piece, was the complete lack of journalistic standards from the Beeb (sorry about jumping on the 'bandwagon') for simply cutting and pasting the one sided opinions of 2 RNLI staff, probably out of context, and bunging in a picture and a headline that was: a.sensational, b.wrong, and c. misspelled. I would have expected better from a local fish and chip wrapper manufacturer. A map of where the story took place, an indication that the journalist had attempted to speak to the dinghies skipper, the forecast as issued at the time, a little statistical background. Even mentioning when it got dark may have helped sell the article.

To sum it up, there was no story here. I love living in a country where I am allowed to go to sea as prepared as I am comfortable with, as long as it is not for commercial gain. I love living in a country where folk will happily volunteer to come out and keep an eye on me, for the price of a pep talk when I come ashore, if they think I am skating on this ice. And I am happy to live in a country with one of the best national broadcasters in the world, although they do seem to be tripping over their clown shoes a lot recently.

Would be interesting to hear a mountain rescue take on this. They spend half their lives in conversation with folk on hills, I have never seen a parallel story about how they had to escort a family group, wearing trainers and thin clothes, for hours, as they refused to seek safety on the advice of their 'betters'. Not saying it does not happen, just saying they may not feel the need to turn every shout or false alarm into a story or a part of a wider issue.

 

[mlines]

And if it really was Birnbeck Island, then its only 351 metres from shore

Although it can be exposed in the wrong wind

 

[Rigger Mortice]

The only party in the wrong here is the person who called the coastguard in the first place. .

The report says that there were several 999 calls.

 

[karl74]

Yet again the press have got it wrong. A detailed report can be seen on the Weston super mare RNLI web site. It appears they didn't refuse help and were escorted back to clevdon which is about 8 - 10 nm away and had to sit off and wait for the incoming tide before they could recover there boat. How ever there is no way I would have gone out in a dinghy like that around here regardless of the weather at this time of year.

 

[oceanfroggie]

What's the fuss about? Routine SOP was followed. Darwin unfortunately requires lowest common denominator.

 

[PhillM]

In support of CG and RNLI

Should the day ever come when I make a wrong call, go to sea in marginal conditions, and somebody sees me and calls for help for me - but me being too tired, or too proud or too stubborn to take it – then may the coastguard and or RNLI please come and get me and bring me in whatever I say.

In my opinion, the professionals do not make the decision to launch and help lightly or for no good reason. Even if they have got it wrong (and I am not sure they did in this case) then let’s all be dammed pleased that they are there to make the decision in the first place.

 

[elton]

Must admit I have a little trouble with the last statement, 'A mobile telephone is no use when calling for help or in communicating with the rescue services.'

If you have a signal which they almost certainly would have then dialling 999 would do just that!! I always have mine as in UK waters it gets me the weather, has full navionics charts with GPS on it, and can ring for help if all else fails. Just as when abroad my sat phone was my second emergency communication method after my EPIRB.

Oh and also look at the photo - the headline says 'rough seas' - looks flat calm to me.

A phone isn't a substitute for a VHF radio. What are you going to do in an emergency? Phone the fire brigade?

 

[ripvan1]

can't believe the anti comments here, bristol channel not a nice place to be in ill equiped rubber duck with deteriorating weather - as for harrassment - perhaps on the bottom of your boat you should have written in bold letters visible to sar and rnli "stop harrassing me i'm ok" as for the fishermen they should count themselves lucky - consider also a lifeboat turning up on scene , first impressions count and what did they find and what was fx - - - ? skipper makes the call - he's the proffesional not the fishermen as evidenced by their lack of suitable kit - good call the follow up of which could have been avoided - the original title of this post also leaves a nasty taste in the mouth

 

[Litotes]

Don't agree at all. If someone offers me help and I decline it then them standing around continually insisting on helping me after that is harrassment in my book, coastguard or RNLI or not. They should have gone home when they were told to IMHO. It's the lifeboat skipper's decision, not the coastguards anyway...

Boo2

Rubbish.

The lifeboat does as the coastguard asks. Can you imagine the chaos if coastguards and lifeboat coxwains started operating independently of one another?

And where does it say that the lifeboat skipper "continually insisted on helping" the fishermen? There is no reason to believe any such thing.

Maybe its time to establish a lifeboat opt-out. Those who do not wish to be helped can register their preference with the coastguard and will be free of all "harassment" by the wasteful and officious rescue services. If they get into trouble, they will be on their own.

Those who choose not to opt out might, however, have to agree to allow some independent judgment to the people whose business it is to assess these situations and those who give up their time and risk their lives to offer those same services.

 

[glashen]

Forgetting for a moment the actions of the RNLI and the CG, does anyone actually think the Fishermen were acting in a responsible manner?

I appreciate they got away with it and apparently didn't need actual assistance but that does not mean it was sensible

 

[Woodlouse]

Forgetting for a moment the actions of the RNLI and the CG, does anyone actually think the Fishermen were acting in a responsible manner?

I appreciate they got away with it and apparently didn't need actual assistance but that does not mean it was sensible

Not being there at the time it's really impossible to say.

 

[Adonnante]

Forgetting for a moment the actions of the RNLI and the CG, does anyone actually think the Fishermen were acting in a responsible manner?

I appreciate they got away with it and apparently didn't need actual assistance but that does not mean it was sensible

To answer that question one would need first hand knowledge of the indivuals involved and details of their boat and its equipment, something I suspect members of this forum don't have. Relying on the media for an accurate account is laughable and the RNLI version has in the past been very one sided.

But don't let accuracy spoil a good winge.

Peter.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

A phone isn't a substitute for a VHF radio. What are you going to do in an emergency? Phone the fire brigade?

Phone 999 and they'll put it through to the CG. That's what happened in this case; there were several 999 calls.

I agree that VHF is better, but there are a few locations where mobile phones are more effective than VHF

 

[mikeinkwazi]

As a member of a CG Coast Rescue Team and one with years of experience in the ways of the sea, and also most importantly the Law of Sod, I have been on many shouts involving potential if not actual danger where we have quietly stuck around and kept an eye on the possible victims until we're satisfied that they will be OK. It's just what we do.

Spot on! One thing bothers me however, who made the shout? I talked to the coast guard on several occasions when I used to deliver boats. They always asked me if I wanted assistance. I'm sure I'd be a little bit irritated if some one came to my 'assistance' unasked.