August proved a busy month for Penarth RNLI, with three calls just over the last week.
On Bank Holiday Monday, (30th August), the Penarth crew responded to reports of a 20 foot yacht that had broken down off Lavernock Point. With Jim Mayer at the helm, and Nathan Cummins, Jen Payne and Olly Jaycock as crew, the Atlantic 85 launched and made its way quickly to the yacht. The crew discovered that the owners of the boat had taken their new yacht out for the first time, and had got into difficulty with the unpredictable tide. Once the lifeboat crew was sure that the boat was seaworthy and able to continue sailing, they made their way back to the station.
Two days later, on 1st September, Penarth’s ILB boat launched, following reports of three children swimming in the water off the Barrage Outer Harbour. It was feared that they would become stuck in the mud banks that were becoming exposed as the tide dropped. However, before the lifeboat reached the children, they had made their way safely out of the water and were heading up to the Barrage car park and the Coastguard were on their way to the barrage car park to speak to them.
Just as they were on their way back to the lifeboat station, the crew received another call, this time to reports of person in difficulty in the water 100 yards off Penarth pier. In less than a minute, Helm Andy Vye-Parminter and his crew of Karl Lawrence and Ben Reynolds reached the person – a woman who was struggling to keep afloat – and pulled her from the water and into the safety of the lifeboat. They took her back to the boathouse, where an ambulance and the Police had been called. The woman, who had underlying mental health issues, was taken to Llandough Hospital for further treatment.
Helm, Andy Vye Parminter, said:
‘This shout is the second within three weeks where it was fortunate the lifeboat was already afloat and therefore able reach the persons in the water quickly.’
