Strong winds and paddleboarders means a busy day for Beaumaris Lifeboat
At 10.36 am on Thursday the 17 August 2023, the volunteer crew members of the Beaumaris lifeboat received a page to launch from the H.M. Coastguard relating to a paddleboarder in difficulties near Penmaenmawr. This service was followed by a further page at 12.12 pm to another paddleboard incident.
The relief Atlantic 85 lifeboat Irene Cornford which is currently operating from Beaumaris with her volunteer crew launched at 10.45 am and proceeded to the area, in the meantime the Mobile Coastguard Rescue Teams from Bangor and Penmon had also been tasked to the incident.
The original location given proved to be incorrect but fortunately a fisherman who had heard of the incident on his radio and was also searching located the casualty and took him aboard his small craft. The Lifeboat then took the paddleboarder aboard and proceeded to the lifeboat station being transferred to the station by stretcher pending the arrival of the ambulance. Fortunately, after being examined by the ambulance crew, he was fit enough to be released into the care of his friend.
At 12.18 pm the lifeboat once again launched to the Penmaenmawr area following a report of two paddleboarders being blown offshore. Casualties quickly located and taken aboard the lifeboat but due to their condition a decision was made to return them to Penmaenmawr into the care of the Mobile Coastguard Rescue team and the north Wales ambulance service for transfer to the hospital for further treatment.
The lifeboat which returned to her station at 1.00 pm to be refuelled and cleaned in readiness for her next service.
A RNLI spokesperson said, ‘We would like to remind people who are going on the sea to check the local weather forecast and tides and wear the appropriate wetsuits, lifejackets and have a means of calling for assistance with them’.
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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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