Barrow RNLI lifeboat called to incident in Walney Channel
Volunteer crew from the RNLI’s Barrow Lifeboat Station launched their inshore lifeboat yesterday evening to attend an incident in Walney Channel following reports of a person in the water.
The call for assistance was received from the regional HM Coastguard base in Holyhead at 8:40pm. The Coastguard requested the lifeboat launch to assist in the search for a person who was reported to be in the water in Walney Channel.
The crew was paged and the Barrow inshore lifeboat, Vision of Tamworth, was launched at 8:50pm with Shaun Charnley at the helm assisted by Saul Tomlin and Sean Hagan.
The lifeboat headed towards Jubilee Bridge and initially found two people in the water north of the bridge who had been observed clinging to a vessel in the Channel but who then began to swim back to the shore. However, Furness Coastguard who were also on scene reported that neither of the two individuals matched the description of the person that was reported to the Coastguard. The lifeboat and search teams were tasked with conducting a search however, it was subsequently established that the person had been witnessed exiting the water. Based on that information, the Coastguard informed the rescue teams at 9:55pm that they could stand down and return to their respective bases.
The lifeboat was back at the boathouse shortly after 10:15pm where it was washed down, refuelled, and made ready for the next launch.
Cumbria Police, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, North West Ambulance Service and Millom and Arnside Coastguard Units were also in attendance.
The weather at the time of the incident was fine and the wind was easterly, Force 2-3. The next high water was not due until 0:44am (Sunday) with a predicted height of 9.3 metres.
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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
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