Saturday 12th September was a very busy day for the St Peter Port lifeboat crew.

In the morning, whilst en route to an exercise with Royal Navy Helicopter “Navy 816”, the St. Peter Port lifeboat “Spirit of Guernsey” was requested to investigate the Saints Bay area.

A quantity of debris, thought to be that of a local boat, was found in a small rocky cove to the East of Saints Bay. This was duly reported to Guernsey Coastguard and the Lifeboat was released to continue with it exercise at 10:30.

RNLI Crews exercise routinely with United Kingdom MOD helicopter assets to ensure competence and familiarity with such activities.

In the afternoon the St Peter Port Lifeboat “Spirit of Guernsey” was launched to assist yacht “Watanga” to the north of Herm. Watanga’s Skipper had suffered a dislocated hip, the yacht’s other crew member was unable to sail the vessel to St Peter Port and the engine had failed.

Local fishing vessel “Hayley B” took the yacht under tow whilst “Spirit of Guernsey” delivered two SJARS Paramedics to the yacht. The Lifeboat escorted “Watanga” and “Haley B” back to St Peter Port where the injured person was transferred to The Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Monday, 24th August – A large Search and Rescue Operation was initiated following the discovery of two sets of clothing, shoes and cash on the quay of Creux Harbour in Sark.

St Peter Port Lifeboat, Flying Christine 3, Sarnia, Leopardess, a French SAR Helicopter and numerous local vessels, responding to a “Mayday Relay”, took part in a search of the sea around Sark. Sark Fire Service also organised a cliff-top search of the many bays and inlets around the island.

Ongoing inquiries during the operation, including appeals for information on local radio, identified that the clothing belonged to Jet-Skiers who had left the clothing in the harbour the previous evening and safely returned to Guernsey.

2203 on Saturday 4th July, 2015 a call was received by JESSC from “Trident 5” that a small cabin cruiser had departed from Herm harbour, in a cloud of black exhaust smoke, heading in the direction of St Peter Port. Unfortunately the cloud of exhaust smoke faded and the boat was observed to drift north in the tide through all the associated rocks off the north-west coast of Herm. A torch or other signalling device was being flashed towards the Trident 5, due to the proximity of the rocks and reef the Trident vessel was unable to go to the assistance of “Deux Haricots” Grave concern was raised for the safety of the seven persons on board. A decision was made to launch the Lifeboat to go to the vessels assistance.

2236 “The Spirit of Guernsey” pierheads proceeding to the casualty.

2258 Lifeboat alongside casualty establishing a tow.

2333 Lifeboat pierheads with the casualty vessel in tow. All persons involved-safe and well.

Unfortunately the local “safety at sea” message would appear not to be getting through to some target groups?