Busy year for RNLI (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)
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Busy year for Harwich RNLI
12:00pm Saturday 5th January 2013 in News By Helen Barnett
Busy year for RNLI
HARWICH RNLI has warned boat owners to check their equipment before they go sailing after having another busy year saving lives.
Harwich RNLI responded to 88 calls in 2012 with most incidents involving yachts breaking down or running aground.
The inshore lifeboat made 67 rescues, while the all weather lifeboat travelled to 21 incidents.
Emergencies included an eight hour search 48 miles off the coast and the transfer of two lifeboat crew from lifeboat to a Dutch yacht in storm force 10 gales.
They have also attended missing persons on the shoreline, yachtsman in the water and persons taken ill at sea.
RNLI spokesman Keith Churchman, said: “Obviously accidents do happen at sea but most of the time people are taking the yachts straight into water after a winter off, without removing the sediment from the engine.
“People need to check their equipment, make sure their engine is clean and have all the safety equipment like life jackets and in-date flares."
