Penarth lifeboat crew had a busy bank holiday weekend, with two call outs within hours of each other.
The station’s smaller inshore lifeboat was launched at 11.45 am to a 27ft yacht which had run aground near the entrance to Cardiff Bay Barrage Outer Harbour. Helmed by Karl Lawrence and crewed by Nathan Cummins, Owain Davies and Matt Church, the boat made its way quickly to the yacht, where the crew found 4 adults on board.
All four were taken by lifeboat to Penarth Lifeboat Station, before the crew returned to the yacht to lay an anchor and secure it. The lifeboat returned to the yacht for a final time at 2pm taking on board two of the people from the yacht, which had refloated due to the incoming tide, and escorted them to the Outer Harbour.
Just a few hours later, at 6pm, the crew was again mobilised to reports of a fire on Sully Island. This time, the boat was helmed by Andy Vye-Parminter and crewed by Jim Mayer and Jen Payne. As several people were reported to be on the island, one of the crew members went ashore on the Island to investigate. No fire was found and the boat made its way back to Penarth.
As they approached Penarth foreshore, the crew noticed a family of 5 who had been cut off by the tide near Lavernock Point. The family- 2 adults and 3 young children – had been walking along the beach earlier in the evening. The family were taken in the lifeboat back to the lifeboat station where, safe and well, they were handed over to the Coastguard.
