The volunteers of Newquay RNLI lifeboat
station have been kept busy in 2009 despite the miserable summer weather
seeming to have restricted maritime leisure use. Preliminary figures
indicate that the town’s lifeboats have been tasked fifty-eight times this
year.
The year commenced with a launch to a report
of a surfer in difficulty at Polly Joke and the most recent launch was to a
person cut off by the tide at Watergate Bay. Other launches throughout the
year have been to such varied incidents as searches for missing persons,
swimmers and surfers in difficulty, various leisure-craft and fishing
vessels both broken down and drifting and run ashore and capsized sailing
dinghies.
One of our more dramatic services occurred at
Fistral Bay where a yachtsman had anchored, mistakenly believing that he was
in the safe anchorage of Newquay Bay. With darkness falling, the tide
quickly ebbing and heavy surf threatening to overwhelm the vessel, a
sharp-eyed member of the public alerted emergency services and the exhausted
sailor was made aware of his predicament. Two lifeboat crew were put aboard
the yacht and, while the engine was started, quickly cut away the anchor.
The yacht was motored to a safe position with moments to spare and duly
towed into harbour.
After a lull of nearly eight weeks the year
ended with a double shout to a lady cut off by the tide and a surfer in
difficulties on 30th December.
In May the crew were awoken by their pagers
not to crew the lifeboats but to remove them from the boathouse while a fire
raged at the harbour, threatening to prevent them being launched should they
have been required. Fortunately, the harbour was spick and span later that
month for a visit to the lifeboat station by HRH The Duke of Kent. Our
annual lifeboat day in August was, again a great success despite thick fog
that prevented the planned helicopter and parachute displays.
The RNLI is a charity. Our volunteer
lifeboat crew, shore-helpers and station officers are on call day and night,
all year-round to assist seafarers and beach users in difficulty. They are
supported by a dedicated band of fundraisers who work tirelessly to maintain
this vital lifesaving service. I would like to take this opportunity to
express my gratitude to them all for the hard work and time that they give
freely.
This year saw the hard work of our
fundraisers recognised by the RNLI. Thirteen members of the Ladies Guild
received awards; two bars (added to gold badges), nine silver badges and two
certificate of thanks. This is the most awards received by any Ladies Guild
in one year and shows the dedication of our fundraisers.
Behind the Operations Team are the forgotten
heroes – our partners and families who are left wondering what is going on
when the pagers are set off. They have to contend with ruined meals,
delayed trips out, jobs put off until another day and a myriad of other
inconveniences. I offer them my heartfelt thanks and appreciation as I do
to those businesses who allow crew to leave their places of work to answer
call-outs.
On behalf of everyone at Newquay lifeboat
station, I would also like to thank the people of Newquay for their support
throughout 2009 and humbly ask for your continued assistance throughout the
coming year.
Finally, may I wish you all a very happy and
safe 2010.
Gareth Horner, Lifeboat Operations Manager,
Newquay RNLI lifeboat station
