Yesterday morning (Sunday 23 March) the volunteers from Bridlington RNLI were tasked for the first time, on what was to prove a busy Sunday for the volunteers.
At 10.51am the HM Coastguards requested the immediate launch of Bridlington relief inshore lifeboat ‘Dorothy Kathleen Barr III’ after it was reported that persons were in the water following an incident involving two small boats close to Wilsthorpe.
A volunteer crew of three launched at 11.04am and made best speed towards the casualties and were on scene within just three minutes.
Upon arrival, both boats and all casualties had been recovered to the beach, however the volunteer crew from Bridlington RNLI administered casualty care to two persons, neither of which were seriously injured.
All casualties were handed over initially to the HM Coastguard rescue team and then onto the NHS ambulance.
The RNLI volunteer crew were then stood down at 11.40am by the HM Coastguard and the inshore lifeboat returned to the beach, was recovered and washed down and ready for service by noon.
However, that was not to be the last call of the day.
At 10.14pm the HM Coastguard again requested the volunteers to assemble and be ready for launching in relation to an ongoing incident, but were eventually stood down again at 10.39pm.
Ash Traves, volunteer helm of the inshore lifeboat at Bridlington RNLI, said: “Excellent team work between the multi-handed agencies this morning. We manged to get launched rapidly and were on scene within 16 minutes of the tasking and arrived to find that both casualty boats and all personnel had made it onto the beach safely.
“After administering casualty care to two of the persons on the beach we were eventually stood down by the HM Coastguards and returned to the lifeboat station.
“It is for such taskings that we regularly train and exercise for, so when we are called into service every member of the volunteer crew, both boat and shore, are ready to assist at moment’s notice, the ‘One Crew’ philosophy of the RNLI at its very best.”
