Lifeboat warning over lanterns (From Tivyside Advertiser)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting TS NEWS to 80360, or email
us
Lifeboat warning over lanterns
1:48pm Monday 8th August 2011 in News
Cardigan and New Quay RNLI lifeboats were involved in a search for several hours off Aberporth on Saturday night after reports were received of a distress flare seen in the area.
It turned out to be a false alarm – as what was reported was probably a Chinese lantern.
After the fruitless search, classed as “genuine” false alarm, Roger Couch, Lifeboat Operations Manager at New Quay, made a plea to members of the public regarding lights in the night sky.
"The light observed was likely to be a Chinese lantern, many of which are released near our coastline up and down the country and are mistaken for distress flares. I would like people to act responsibly and bear in mind that the fruitless searches which result are very costly to our organisation, a charity which relies entirely on public donations and legacies for its funding. It can also divert us from providing cover for real life maritime emergencies."
Local RNLI lifeboats, beach patrols and Coastguard rescue teams have been kept busy for most of the last week, as follows: *New Quay and Gwbert Coastguard Rescue Teams responded to a request from police to help search for a woman who was missing in the Aberporth area last Tuesday. She was found by police as the Coastguard teams arrived on the scene.
*Cardigan RNLI inshore lifeboat was called out to a speedboat with two people on board that had broken down broken down between Aberporth and Tresith last Tuesday evening. The vessel was towed ashore by a local fishing boat.
*Tresaith RNLI beach lifeguards, with Gwbert and New Quay Coastguard Rescue Teams helped get a casualty with a suspected dislocated shoulder to an ambulance on Friday evening. He was taken to Glangwilli Hospital, Carmarthen, for treatment.
*Fishguard Coast Rescue team and Fishguard RNLI Inshore llifeboat were tasked on Saturday to a report of a 14ft dinghy with three people on board, which had lost engine power and was heading for the rocks. The vessel was recovered back to safety ashore at Fishguard.
*New Quay Coastguard Rescue Team assisted a 64 year old man, who had injured his back while on the passenger vessel Orca, on Saturday evening. He was taken to a waiting ambulance at New Quay harbour and then to hospital for treatment.
