Penarth lifeboat crew have once again been busy, with three calls received in just four days.
The first call came on Thursday 12th August, when the crew received a report of seven people cut off by the tide and stranded on Ball Rock – a tiny island just beyond St Mary’s Well Bay. Within six minutes of receiving the call, the first of Penarth’s two lifeboats – the Atlantic 85 – was on its way, helmed by Jason Dunlop and crewed by Karl Lawrence, Ben Reynolds and Oliver Jaycock. The smaller boat, the IB1 was quick on its tail, helmed by Jon Russill and crewed by Dan Forbes and Jen Payne.
When they reached the group – a mixture of adults and children who had become completely cut off from the mainland – two of the lifeboat crew from Atlantic 85, climbed onto Ball Rock to pass out lifejackets to everyone and to reassure them that help was on its way. The smaller lifeboat was able to come closer to the rock and gradually transferred two people at a time from the rock to the larger lifeboat.
Once all the stranded people were off the rock, the lifeboats made their way to the shore at Swanbridge, with six of the rescued group on board the larger Atlantic 85, and one remaining on the IB1, receiving oxygen treatment for anxiety. The group was safely deposited on the shore where they were handed over to the care of Coastguards and the Ambulance Service.
Two days later, Penarth RNLI came to the aid of a boat that had run aground between Penarth Head and the pier. The smaller ILB launched twice – the first time with Karl Lawrence, Jen Payne and Ben Reynolds aboard, and the second time with Phil Dutfield joining Karl and Jen, making sure that the boat was able to refloat, was watertight and was able to make its way safely to Cardiff Bay barrage.
The third call came in the very early hours of Monday morning (16th August), when reports were received of a woman threatening to jump from Penarth pier. The crew scrambled to the lifeboat station and stood by, ready to launch, until it was confirmed that the woman had merely made threats to jump in texts, and was in fact on dry land in her Cardiff flat.
