Distress beacon sparks coastal search for Hoylake and New Brighton RNLI
When the signal from a distress beacon was detected in the Wirral area by HM Coastguard on Tuesday 13 February, a major search effort by the volunteer crews at Hoylake and New Brighton RNLI was launched.
Hoylake RNLI’s all-weather Shannon class lifeboat Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood and New Brighton’s inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat Charles Dibdin were both tasked just before 8.00am.
The signal suggested that a casualty could potentially be within a 5 nautical mile radius somewhere around the Wirral coast. The lifeboats set out to locate the source of the beacon using their radio signal direction-finding equipment.
Hoylake RNLI lifeboat initially searched along the north Wirral coast, before heading towards Prestatyn and into the Dee Estuary. Meanwhile, New Brighton RNLI lifeboat took the search into the River Mersey along both the Wirral and Liverpool sides of the water.
While in the River Dee, Hoylake RNLI lifeboat detected a weak and intermittent signal in the direction of Queensferry in North Wales. The lifeboat immediately headed towards the signal to investigate. However after further searches, the beacon could no longer be detected. With no further reports of people or vessels missing or in distress, HM Coastguard stood down the RNLI lifeboats.
Hoylake RNLI Coxswain Howie Owen said: ‘The two lifeboat crews searched for nearly three hours after the alarm was raised. While there was nobody in difficulty in this case, the incident is testament to the commitment of RNLI volunteers who will always drop everything to save lives at sea.’
‘We would advise everyone who owns lifesaving equipment such as emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) or personal locator beacons (PLBs) to ensure they’re registered with the Coastguard. This helps the authorities to identify and contact owners in an emergency.’
Media contacts
For more information, please contact:
Dan Whiteley, Hoylake RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer on 07799 851 316 or email [email protected]
Connor Wray, New Brighton RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer on 07756553092 or [email protected]
Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, RNLI Regional Communications Manager on 07977 728 315 or email [email protected]
RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789
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
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