Boats launched : Both lifeboats
Date : 15-24 June 2017
Launched 14 times
Weather : Very warm and sunny with variable winds.
The hot weather in June brought a hectic 4 day period for the Hayling Lifeboat crews, as kite surfers, yachts and missing children needed help.
Lifeboats were launched thirteen times during the period 15-18 June as the sunshine and warm temperatures sent folk scurrying to the coast. On the evening of Thursday 15th, three kite surfers got into trouble and the Atlantic 85 lifeboat helped them ashore, but whilst the crew were busy a yacht ran aground on the Winner bank and the smaller D-Class lifeboat took the three yachts crew off and landed them at Itchenor.
Friday was a day of rest but then the weekend kicked in and on Saturday 3 missing children were reported at W Wittering and so both lifeboats went to search for the, All three were found ashore but having just got back to the Lifeboat Station more children went missing on the busy beach and so a lifeboat went to search for them. They were also found ashore.
Sunday dawned sunny and warm and the beaches filled up. At midday a 4 year old went missing and both lifeboats went to search, one along the shoreline and the other offshore a little way. The 4 year old was found and a family who were cut off by the rising tide on a sandbank were taken to safety. At 1 o’clock two 5 year old boys went missing but the lifeboats were not needed as they were found ashore, and then similarly the boat launched at 4:45 pm but was not needed.
Having had a busy day the crews were then called out again at 11:00 pm to assist a tender which lost engine power and with a yacht skipper, his wife and mother, drifting in the dark. We reached the casualties at the top of the harbour and had to wade through the mud to them. The two ladies were transferred to the D-Class Lifeboat and then we towed the skipper and tender to Northney Marina.
The month ended with us rescuing a small yacht in poor condition being blown onto the shore at W Wittering by a strong onshore SW wind. The 4 crew had come from France and had been at sea for 72 hours but had no navigation aids. We towed the yacht into the harbour, transferred to an alongside tow and took the vessel into Sparkes Marina where they were met by the Police and Border Force Officers.
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