Walton & Frinton Lifeboat - Callouts

Call No 25

31/12/08: Paged by Thames Coastguard to assist a 28ft anglian boat Regal Warrior with 2pob, near Stone Banks with engine faliure.Put towline on & towed into Titchmarsh Marina.

Launched: 09:29 RRFS: 11:35 Wind: North 2 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Wyatt, M Oakes & M Rayner.

Call No 24

6/12/08: Launched to assist a 29ft yacht Pochard, 3pob, on passage Rochester to Ipswich with rudder fouled by fishing gear near Stone Banks Bouy, 2miles NE of pier. Yacht towed to Shotley Marina.

Launched: 16:22 RRFS: 18:50 Wind: SW 2/3 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, K Bruce, M Oakes, S Berry & J Hale.

Call No. 23

2/12/08: Thames Coastguard requested us to assist a 42ft ex-F/V Catherine Lucy, 4POB, broken down with engine failure off Frinton Golf Course, 1.7 miles South West of Walton. Towed vessel into Walton Backwaters.

Launched: 14:42 RRFS: 17:50 Wind: West 3/4 Sea: Slight

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, K Bruce, R Wyatt, M Oakes & S Berry.

Call No 22

1/11/08: Launched to assistance of yacht Nellie 3 pob reported his position as aground on the Buxey Sand, 10 miles South West of the station. On passage to casualty it became clear to the coxswain that the yacht was actually aground near Sales Point on the river Blackwater.On arrival Lifeboat was unable to reach casualty, which was high & dry. Helicopter 125 winched crew off and landed them at Bradwell Marina. Lifeboat then returned to station.

Launched: 17:09 RRFS: 20:00 Wind: East 7/8 Sea: Rough

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, R Wyatt, C Smith & S Berry.

Call No 21

18/10/08: Paged to assist a 35ft yacht Sandpipper with 4 pob on board with a fouled rudder & prop caught in fishing gear 1 mile north east of pier. On arrival yacht taken in tow to Harwich & transferred to Volunteer at Shotley Spit for onward passage to Woolverstone Marina on the river Orwell.

Launched: 14:57 RRFS: 16:50 Wind: W 4 Sea: Slight

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, R Wyatt, M Oakes & S Berry.

Call No. 20

11/10/08: Requested to launch after Thames Coastguard received a call that a 20ft speed boat Aberation had gone aground on the Pye Sand 3miles north of the pier. On arrival the 5 crew had managed to refloat themselves & were going to make their own way back to Brightlingsea.

After crew had returned to the boathouse, the Coxswain received a phone call from Thames Coastguard saying that the Aberation had engine problems of Holland Haven 2 M south of pier. Relaunched & towed the speedboat into Brightlingsea.

Launched: 16:04 RRFS: 20:15 Wind: S/W 3 Sea: Smooth

Crew: G Edwards, K Bigwood, R Farrance, R Wyatt, M Rayner, S Peters & K Grant.

Call No 19

25/9/08: Launched together with Clacton and West Mersea ILB`S after a 20ft yacht Snowfire was found aground off West Mersea with sails set & no one on board. West Mersea crew boarded the yacht and found a log entry that indicated the yacht had been at the Wallet Spitway at 13:40. Search was made from Spitway to Bradwell by Lifeboats & helicopter without result. Search was terminated when light failed, then resumed next day by Mersea and Burnham ILB`S, together with helicopter and police boats. A body was found at approximately 13:30, one mile east of Bradwell Power Station and recovered by helicopter.

Launched: 18:03 RRFS: 22:00 Wind: East 4/5 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Bettany, C Smith, M Oakes & S Berry.

Call No 18

16/09/08: Launched to assist another yacht Sea Hawk aground on the Cork Sand with 1 pob. Attached a towline & pulled her off on flood tide & towed into Walton Backwaters.

Launched: 5:45 RRFS:11:12 Wind: East 3/4 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, K Bruce, M Oakes & M Rayner.

Call No 17

13/09/08: Diverted to assist a 28ft yacht Paxl with 4 pob aground on the Cork Sands, 5 miles ENE of the pier. Crew member walked a towline ashore to the yacht & on the flood tide Lifeboat pulled her clear of the sands. Lifeboat then towed it to the entrance of Harwich harbour.

Diverted: 14:57 RRFS: 21:00 Wind: East 1/2 Sea: Slight

Crew: The same as previous call.

Call No 16

13/09/08: Launched to a broken down jet-ski with 1 person on board 500m east of the pier. The craft was towed onto the beach, then the Lifeboat was diverted to a yacht aground on Cork Sands, see call 17.

Launched: 14:33 Diverted: 14:57 Wind: Variable 1 Sea: Calm

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, R Wyatt, R Bettany, S Berry, & S Peters.

Call No 15

05/09/08: Paged by Thames Coastguard to launch for a 32mtre Belgium Trawler Aegir which had gone aground on the top of the Longsand. Crew just boarding the Lifeboat when Coastguard's cancelled the launch as she had bounced across the sands & was in deep water again.

Launched: 15:28 Stood Down: 15:39 Wind: S/E 7 Sea: Rough

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, R Wyatt, S Berry & M Oakes.

Call No 14

03/09/08: Paged at 22:17 from Thames Coastguard to assist a 20ft yacht called Pretendre with 2 persons on board & total loss of power near the Knoll Buoy. On arrival Lifeboat had to trip the yachts anchor & attach a towline onto it. Once the tow was attached they preceded into Brightlingsea where the yacht was put alongside the town`s pontoons.

Launched: 22:17 RRFS: 02:00 Wind: S/W 7-8 Sea: Rough

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, M Oakes, S Berry & J Cooper.

Call No. 13

23/8/08: Launched to assistance of 27ft yacht Laivas 2 pob aground on Middle Sunk half mile east of Barrow 4 buoy. Clacton Lifeboat also launched. The Clacton Lifeboat arrived first but yacht too hard aground to attempt immediate refloating. On arrival female crew member found to be in shock and was transferred onto Walton Lifeboat by means of the lifeboat’s inflatable dingy. A crew member was then transferred to casualty vessel to assist in refloating. Clacton Lifeboat returned to station after helping to connect tow line to yacht. Walton Lifeboat then anchored to await flood tide. Yacht refloated without damage at 12:30 and towed to Wallet Spitway where female crew member was put back aboard. The Laivas then proceeded back to Bradwell in company with the yacht Adagio

Launched: 08:47 RRFS: 14:52 Wind: W3/4 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, R Wyatt, M Oakes & M Rayner.

Call No. 12

15/8/08: Launched to assistance of yacht Westaway, 2 pob, with engine failure and sick person on board near Black Deep 1 buoy. Yacht also reported to be making water. On arrival at position two crew put aboard yacht, which was still under sail. Female crew member found to be suffering from sea-sickness but recovered as tow got under way. Crew managed to stem leak and yacht taken in tow to Titchmarsh Marina.

Launched: 21:43 RRFS: 01:25 Wind: SW 4 Sea: Moderate

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, C Smith, M Oakes & J Cooper.

Call No. 11

02/08/08: Launched to assistance of yacht Dayspring, 6 pob aground on Cork Sand. On arrival yacht pulled clear of sands and towed to Harwich being berthed on Halfpenny Pier.

Launched: 04:21 RRFS: 07:13 Wind: SW 5 Sea: Moderate

Crew: G Edwards, K Bigwood, K Bruce, C Smith, M Oakes, M Rayner & K Leech

Call No.10

23/7/08: Launched to assistance of 35ft yacht Roxanna 3 pob with propeller and rudder fouled by sail two miles north of the Naze. On arrival two lifeboat crew put aboard yacht and freed obstruction. Yacht then escorted to entrance of Harwich Harbour and lifeboat returned to station.

Launched: 20:34 RRFS: 21:52 Wind: E 3 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, C Smith, M Oakes, S Berry & M Rayner.

Call No.9

14/06/08: Launch to assistance of 35ft fishing vessel Colne Tiger,with 10 pob, drifting close to Black Deep 3 buoy. Towed into Brightlingsea.

Launch: 17: 35 RRFS: 21: 55 Wind: SW 3/4 Sea: Slight

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, R Wyatt, C Smith, M Oakes & S Berry.

Call No. 8

9/6/08: Launched to assistance of 32ft yacht Westerly Way, 3 pob with engine failure 1.5 miles south of North East Gunfleet buoy. With no wind the yacht was unable to sail. On arrival of the lifeboat, yacht’s anchor was weighed and yacht towed to Shotley marina.

Launched: 21:35 RRFS: 01:00 Wind: Variable 1 Sea: Calm

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, K Bruce, C Smith, M Oakes and J Cooper

Call No. 7

16/05/08: Launch after mayday from 40ft motor yacht Tanner, 2 pob, aground on Sunk Sand near Barrow No 4 buoy. Rescue helicopter 125 also tasked. Radio contact lost but re-established by helicopter when on scene. On arrival casualty had refloated but had suffered damage to both propellers and was towed to Brightlingsea where it was immediately lifted out of the water.

Launched: 06:25 RRFS: 11:00 Wind: NE 4 Sea: Slight

Crew: T Halls, R Farrance, K Bigwood, K Bruce, C Smith, M Oakes, S Berry.

Call No. 6

18/04/08: Launched after reports of female entering the sea near the coastguard station. Searched with Rescue Helicopter 125 as far as the Naze until confirmed that female was safe ashore.

Launched: 02:07 RRFS: 03:30 Wind: E6/7 Sea: Moderate

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, K Bruce, M Oakes, S Berry & M Rayner

Call No. 5

10/04/08: Launched after reports of man overboard since approximately 0300 from tanker Baltic Sky 1 in Sunk deep-water anchorage. Harwich and Aldeburgh ALB’s also tasked with rescue helicopter 125. Casualty found by helicopter and taken to Ipswich Hospital.

Launch: 10:33 RRFS: 11:45 Wind: SW 2 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, K Bigwood, M Oakes & E Edmonds

Call No. 4

05/04/08: Thames C/G requested the lifeboat to launch after numerous 999 calls were received reporting that a person had fallen into the water from the pier. Whilst crew were proceeding up the pier, the local beach patrol launched and retrieved the person from the water. They then proceeded back to the shore where the lifeboat crew & coastguard's met them. The person was treated for hypothermia & transferred to a waiting ambulance.

Launched: 16:19 Recalled: 16:24 Wind: N/W 2-3 Sea: Calm

Crew: G Edwards, K Bigwood, S Berry, M Oakes, J Cooper, M Rayner, S Peters.

Call No. 3

08/02/08: Launched to investigate report of flares seen from Frinton in direction of Gunfleet Sands. Search of Wallet and Gunfleet Sands but nothing found.

Launched: 20:26 RRFS: 22:10 Wind: SSE 2/3 Sea: Slight

Crew: G Edwards, T Halls, R Bettany, K Bruce, C Smith, S Berry & M Rayner

Call No. 2

27/01/08: Launched to investigate reports of red flares in Dovercourt Bay reported by vessels in Felixstowe and Harwich Channel. Harwich ILB launched and coastguard shore teams also searched the sea walls and shore in Walton Backwaters. The lifeboats searched extensively around Kirby and Landermere Creeks and the Walton Channel up to Titchmarsh marina but nothing was found.

Launched: 21:28 RRFS: 23:37 Wind: WSW 3 Sea: slight

Crew: G Edwards, R Farrance, K Bruce, R Wyatt, C Smith, S Berry & M Rayner

Call No. 1

09/01/08: Diverted from exercise to assist in search for missing person at the Naze. Lifeboat used night vision equipment and searchlights to illuminate beach and cliffs so as to assist police and coastguard's searching on shore. Police on the beach subsequently found a body at 22:30.

Diverted: 20:38 RRFS: 21:58 Wind: S 5 Sea: Moderate

Crew: T Halls, K Bigwood, R Farrance, K Bruce, R Wyatt, S Berry, M Rayner & K Grant