11 October - ILB and ALB launched to cries for help

Both Poole lifeboats were launched at 11pm in a thick pea souper. A yacht moored in Studland bay raised the alarm after they heard a man screaming for help.

Poole Harbour and Bay were shrouded in thick fog so both lifeboats navigated their way through the harbour into Studland Bay. The fast response inshore lifeboat (ILB) arrived on scene first and found that the yacht that had raised the alarm had found the man and pulled him out of the water.

The man had been rowing back to his yacht in his tender and was tying the tender on when he fell overboard into the water. Luckily for him the other yacht was in the vicinity and heard his cries. He had no lifejacket on and had been in the water for 40 minutes or so in thick fog.

The volunteer lifeboat crew boarded the yacht and assessed the casualty. They treated him for hypothermia and transferred him onto the all-weather lifeboat (ALB) that was standing by. The ALB then made its way gingerly through the fog to the Haven ferry pontoon where an ambulance was waiting. The casualty was transferred to the ambulance and taken to Poole hospital for further treatment.

The ALB was then tasked to a 12m yacht in trouble 3 miles east of Durlston. The yacht with five people onboard was on passage from Dartmouth to Southampton when it ran out of fuel. At 2am, with no wind and thick fog, they were relieved to see the RNLI lifeboat and volunteer crew. A tow was secured and the ALB towed them back to the safety of Poole Quay, where another incident was unfolding.

Volunteer ILB helmsman Gavin McGuinness, who was the busiest crew member in 2007, had returned to the station from the previous shout. He was walking down the quay with Lifeboat Operations Manager Rod Brown to meet the ALB and stricken yacht when they heard a splash.

Gavin turned around to see a man face-down in the quay. He grabbed one of the life rings that are located along the quay and threw it to the man. There was no reaction and at first they feared the worse. They threw it again and the man partially responded. They threw it a third time and he put a hand out to hold the ring but his face was still immersed in the water. It was becoming apparent that the man was worse for wear and not very responsive. Gavin and Rod pulled the life ring and man towards the Fish Shambles steps. Gavin then waded in to grab him as there was a 2-knot strong ebb tide and he could see he was beginning to drift away into the gloomy murky fog. Gavin lunged towards him and grabbed him and, with Rod’s help, they pulled him out of the water and up the steps. An ambulance had arrived on scene and rushed the man off to Poole hospital.

Gavin, Rod and the rest of the volunteer crew got back home to their beds just after 4am on Sunday Morning.