A Monthly Publication

By Geoff Needham

As the nice weather continues and the beaches are packed with people on holiday, the number of calls to missing children has been less than other years, lets hope that parents are being more vigilant .

On the 23rd July Yarmouth Coastguard received 990 call of persons trying to cross the channel at Brancaster as the tide was flooding, at 1730 hrs our Hovercraft was tasked to go to Scolthead Island to bring to the mainland the family whose plight had been seen by the warden at Scolt, and had taken them into his care to await evacuation , the family included two children and two Labrador dogs, they were wet and cold from their experience but most grateful for being picked up.

24.07.09 at 2220 hrs Yar CG paged crew to report of a Hot Air balloon coming down in the wash off Old Hunstanton, Hunstanton L/Boat launched on service and searched area from Hunstanton to Heacham nothing was found, Yar CG called off search at 1130hrs it was believed to have been part of a firework display, probably a Chinese lantern, it would help if local organiser’s of such events informed CG of their intentions.

31.07.09 at 1528 hrs Yar CG had report of inflatable drifting off shore at Old Hunstanton the L/Boat launched  and recovered the object which turned out to be a large inflatable dolphin, no persons involved.

August 6th just after 1600hrs Yar CG picked up a MAY DAY call from a vessel in the wash stating that he was taking in water and was sinking in the Freeman channel, this message was relayed to Yar CG by a vessel named Anchoress as comm's were not at their best.  both our craft were launched along with Skegness Mersey The Lincolnshire Poacher, on arrival at scene the Antigua a 30 ft motor yacht had sunk and the skipper had been taken aboard another vessel the Conservancy a 40ft motor vessel, which was also taking in water having sustained damage to her hull whilst trying to get alongside the Antigua to take the skipper off B-749 Hunstanton L/boat and H-003 transferred a pump to the Conservancy who had an 18" gash to her starboard side below the water line, after assessing the situation H-003 was released to return to station, both Hunstanton and Skegness L/boats stayed on scene and escorted the Conservancy to Fosdyke,

  On making sure that  the Conservancy was home safe, our pump was taken back on board B-749, Yar CG released both boats to return to their station's, on the way back they GPS 'd the position of the Antigua and picked up some wreckage which was transferred to the Lincolnshire Poacher, our boat arriving back at 2115hrs to be washed down refuelled and made ready for the next shout.  Enclosed is a photo taken by Skegness crew of Hunstanton L/boat alongside the sunken wreck of the Antigua.

 
On the 9th August at 1917 hrs Yar. CG received VHF call from a vessel called Sarah Louise that two persons were out near the mouth of the Nene and thought to be in danger of being cut off by the rising tide he was unable to get to them because of his draught, both our craft were launched B-749 was first on scene and it was established that two persons were making their way back to the sea bank, believed to be two anglers, and no help was needed, a false alarm with good intent, that part of the wash is very treacherous unless you know the area, not the ideal place to go angling.

  On Saturday 8th August the crew arranged a BBQ at the boathouse for friends and family a nice social evening was had by all, as they say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!