Hayling Island RNLI lifeboat crew to receive awards for courage this weekend
Award Ceremony to take place at on Saturday 26 Feb at 11:00am
On 28 June 2020 three men were rescued from the sandbanks off West Wittering Beach. In the morning they ran aground in their newly acquired yacht and then as the tide dropped they left the yacht.
Later that day they returned and the boat floated but they were then caught in a strong SW wind with breaking waves in shallow water.
Both Hayling Lifeboats were called out and reached the yacht, by this time in a very dangerous situation. With huge courage a crewmember leapt across onto the yacht and found 3 frightened casualties with no lifejackets and no other safety equipment.
The conditions were too dangerous to get the crew off so with great skill the lifeboats established a tow and took the yacht and causalities to safe harbour.
All seven crew are to receive RNLI Awards for their bravery, skill and determination:
Andrew Ferguson and Daniel Macpherson will receive the ‘Thanks of the Institution Inscribed on Vellum’ for their courage, determination, decision making skills and boat handling skills.
D class crew Lloyd Pepperell will also receive the ‘Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum’ for ‘his extreme selflessness and courage as well as stamina when boarding and acting independently on the casualty vessel’.
For their courage and teamwork during the service ‘Vellum service certificates’ will also be award to D class crew Jack Anson and Atlantic 85 crew Sharon Swan, Elly Briggs and Thomas Lincoln.
The Awards Ceremony will take place at Hayling Island Sailing Club, Bracklesham Road, Hayling, on Saturday 26 Feb at 11:00 when Mark Dowie, Chief Executive of the RNLI will present the awards.
We would love to see you at this event: Please contact Alan Bartlett, LPO Hayling RNLI on 07749 061220 for more details.
The original press release on the awards which has more details about the crew’s dramatic rescue can be found here:
Notes to editors
Photo: Six of the crew to receive the awards. The seventh has moved to Canada but is returning for the ceremony
Hayling Island RNLI Station has a D-Class lifeboat Jacob and an Atlantic 85 Derrick Battle. On average there are 75/85 launches per year and we were the 5th busiest station in the SE Region in 2015, and the busiest of the immediate local stations.
RNLI Media contacts:
· Hayling Island RNLI station Lifeboat Press Officer Alan Bartlett 07749061220 [email protected]
· Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East), 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]
· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.
Key facts about the RNLI
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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.