It’s a buoy for Lyme Regis RNLI volunteers
The volunteer crew of Lyme Regis RNLI had an unusual task last evening (5 May) when they launched to investigate a navigation buoy drifting along the coast between Lyme Regis and Charmouth.
Crew pagers were sounded at 8:19pm and the volunteers launched their Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat ‘Spirit of Loch Fyne’ four minutes later. Their task was to locate the buoy, confirm that it was not a hazard to navigation, and determine where it had originated from.
Once they arrived on scene at 8:27pm the crew quicky identified the buoy as a starboard mark bearing the number 5 and markings which indicated that it belonged to Exmouth Port Authority.
Volunteer Helm Tom Crabbe said, ‘This was an unusual shout for us and one which was a first for all 4 of us. Once we had identified what it was, and where it had drifted from, there was nothing more we could do. As no lives were at risk, we did not attempt to tow it.’
Volunteers reported their findings to HM Coastguard together with buoy’s accurate navigation position and rate of drift. They then returned to Lyme Regis harbour where shore volunteers washed the lifeboat down and refuelled it ready for its next task. This was the 14th service call for Lyme Regis RNLI crew in 2024, the year in which the lifesaving charity celebrates its 200th anniversary.
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A photo of the Starboard Navigation Mark adrift off Charmouth
RNLI media contacts
For more information, please contact Nick Marks volunteer deputy lifeboat press officer at Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station on 07568 187582 or [email protected] or Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected] or contact the 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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