Lifeboat News, January 2017

West Mersea Lifeboat News.
by Leafy Dumas, Lifeboat Press Officer.

We welcome in the New Year with a new page in the lifeboat logbook.  Here are the entries for last year's shouts.

West Mersea Lifeboat had 62 calls for help in total.  Some shouts are weather and tide related, some involve human error or illness and some are due to engine or kit failure.   Some days we have multiple shouts, some days we have none.  Most end happily, but devastatingly some are tragic.

Record of Services, 2016.

• 1.     10 Feb     Car stuck on Strood when tide over road.    Lifeboat stood down as no danger.
• 2.       19 Mar    Small yacht aground – Bradwell.     Re-floated and towed to Mersea.   
• 3.       25 Mar    Speedboat broken down with 6 POB - Jaywick.    Casualties & vessel taken to Osyth.
• 4.       02 Apr    Assist Navy Bomb Disposal - St Peter’s Flats.   Depth Charge detonated.
• 5.       06 Apr    Yacht OCEAN DREAMER prop fouled – Bradwell.   Vessel moored & crew taken ashore.
• 6.       10 Apr    Semi-sunken yacht to be investigated – Osea.   Nothing found.
• 7.       21 Apr    Fishing vessel with engine failure – Lawling Ck.  Casualty towed to Blackwater Marina.
• 8.       22 Apr    Jet ski with engine failure – Steeple.   Casualties landed at Steeple Bay.
• 9.       06 May   16ft powerboat with engine failure – Raysand Ch.  Towed to Burnham by Burnham ILB.
• 10.    15 May   17ft powerboat with engine failure - Mill Beach.   Casualty towed to Mersea.
• 11.    27 May   Red flare sighted – River Colne.    Searched but nothing found.
• 12.    30 May   Jet ski with engine failure – Blackwater.   Casualty assisted by another vessel.
• 13.    30 May   Kayak capsized with boy in water – Mill Beach.   Lifeboat assisted in recovery.
• 14.    04 Jun    Outboard dinghy reported in difficulties – Thirslet.   Searched but nothing found.
• 15.    05 Jun    Medical casualty to be transferred to mainland.   Lifeboat stood by but not required.
• 16.    05 Jun    Medical casualty – Mersea, tide over Strood.    Transferred Paramedic to Mersea.
• 17.    07 Jun    Man in dinghy stuck on mud - Cocum Hills.    Casualty recovered back to Mersea.
• 18.    21 Jun    Upturned vessel reported – off Waldegraves.   No POB. Vessel towed to Mersea.
• 19.    28 Jun    Report of something falling off fishing boat.   Vessel found laying oysters.
• 20.    02 Jul     Yacht aground with damaged prop – Bradwell Ck.   Casualty towed into marina.
• 21.    10 Jul     Person in the water – Stone.   Casualty rescued by others.
• 22.    17 Jul     Jet Ski broken down & crew in mud – Lawling Ck.  Casualty towed to Mersea.
• 23.    17 Jul     Report of paraglider crashing – South Mersea.  False alarm.
• 24.    20 Jul     Windsurfer missing – Stansgate.  Self-recovered before ILB arrived.
• 25.    22 Jul     Windsurfer reported drifting – Blackwater.   MFV wreckage recovered.
• 26.    22 Jul     Dog stuck in mud – North Osea.    Recovered before ILB arrived.
• 27.    25 Jul     Skipper of yacht had a stroke – off Bradwell.   Casualty treated. Handed to ambulance.
• 28.    07 Aug   Yacht & powerboat aground – River Colne.    Powerboat towed to Alresford Ck.
• 29.    07 Aug   Windsurfer with broken mast – River Colne.    Casualty taken to St Osyths.
• 30.    07 Aug    Jet ski broken down – River Colne.    Casualty towed to Brightlingsea.
• 31.    07 Aug    Report of 2 sailing dinghies in difficulties – Nass.   False alarm with good intent.
• 32.    14 Aug    Packing Shed launch aground – Cobmarsh.    7 persons taken ashore.
• 33.    14 Aug    Jet ski missing – Blackwater.   Casualty found Stansgate taken ashore.
• 34.    17 Aug    Capsized catamaran – Mill Creek.   Casualty self-recovered.
• 35.    18 Aug    Powerboat with engine failure – East Mersea.   Casualty towed to Brightlingsea.
• 36.    18 Aug    Tasked to Yacht aground – West Mersea.    No help needed, others assisted.
• 37.    18 Aug    Powerboat with fouled propeller – Sales Point.    Casualty towed to Bradwell marina.
• 38.    20 Aug    Search for missing windsurfer – Blackwater.   Casualty recovered deceased.
• 39.    21 Aug    Car broken down in water – Strood.   Stood by until tide receded.
• 40.    21 Aug    Yacht BRIGHTSIDE  aground – Tollesbury.   Vessel towed off mud.
• 41.    23 Aug    Swimmer in difficulties – Mersea beach.   Casualty ok. Launch cancelled.
• 42.    26 Aug    Person missing from yacht at night – Mersea.  Casualty located and returned.
• 43.    27 Aug    Yacht with broken mast – Blackwater.   No assistance required.
• 44.     27 Aug    Yacht BELINDA with rope round prop – Nass.  Casualty towed to mooring.
• 45.     31 Aug    Angling boat with engine failure – Osea.   Casualty towed to Steeple bay.
• 46.     03 Sept   Yacht HORNBLOWER aground – Lawling Ck.  Landed crew ashore.
• 47.     04 Sept   Yacht HORNBLOWER aground  - Lawling Ck.  Assisted casualty to mooring.
• 48.     04 Sept   Windsurfer in difficulties - Bradwell.   Casualty and board brought ashore.
• 49.     05 Sept   Small dinghy reported drifting – Blackwater.   No occupants.  Craft brought ashore.
• 50.     15 Sept   Jet ski broken down – Mill Beach.   Casualties and Jet ski recovered.
• 51.     24 Sept   Small motorboat with steering failure – Ray Ch.   Casualty towed to Mersea Causeway.
• 52.     24 Sept   Catamaran with fouled prop – Tollesbury.   Unable to clear prop. Left in location.
• 53.     25 Sept   Motorboat with steering failure – Blackwater.   Casualty towed to Bradwell marina.
• 54.     02 Oct     Transfer paramedic to Mersea – tide over Strood.   Paramedic taken to casualty.
• 55.     02 Oct     DSC alert received from yacht – Bench Head.   Casualty towed to Bradwell marina.
• 56.     04 Oct     Investigate yacht adrift – Blackwater.   Vessel towed to mooring at Stone.
• 57.     07 Oct     Transfer medical casualty ashore – Brightlingsea.   Casualty taken to ambulance.
• 58.     12 Oct     Motorboat with engine failure – East Mersea.   Casualty towed to Brightlingsea.
• 59.     13 Oct     Report of drifting yacht – Blackwater.   Yacht found not to be in trouble.
• 60.     16 Oct     Person fallen in water from yacht – Strood Channel.   Casualty recovered to boathouse.
• 61.     16 Oct     Yacht with engine failure – Waldegraves.   Casualty towed to Tollesbury
• 62.     19 Oct     Person in water calling for help – Waldegraves.   Lifeboat stood down after launch.

The lifeboat is at the heart of every coastal community on our island nation. 

We are lucky to have a magnificent boat and crew in West Mersea with a supportive lifeboat family and wider community;  this means we can provide a safety net around our estuary coastline and truly help those in peril on the sea. Manned by volunteers. funded by donations, the RNLI is a noble organisation providing a vital emergency service.   The crew, their families and the good people who raise the funds to enable the boat to run are all pretty amazing.                                                                                

We, at West Mersea Lifeboat Station and our boat, Just George, send a MASSIVE thank you to all of you who have donated money to help keep the boat and crew ready for action.  Running a lifeboat station is a dauntingly expensive operation, yet with your help we do it. 

There are many of you who we would dearly love to mention but with only room for a few, here are some of the committed and wonderful folk who selflessly raise large amounts for the RNLI year after year after year:-

Mr Rix, with his countless sales from his Firs Road garden gate.                         The WMYC with their annual pursuit race.

The Maldon Little Ship Club with their annual sponsored row and gig race, and 

The Basin Oars from Heybridge  -  a marvellous group of enthusiastic women rowers bursting with   bonhomie.

We are grateful for every penny. 

Photo, West Mersea Lifeboat. 

The Basin Oars with lifeboat crew.