Welcome to Poole lifeboat station's website

8 August 2010

Our lifeboat station open day is on August 8th this year from 11am through to 4.30pm on the quay by the lifting bridge.
Admission free and lots to do and see for all the family.

For more details on any of these events click here

28 Jul

1512 The pagers went off initially for the ILB to launch to an 8m motorcruiser that had hit the Training Bank just outside the entrance to Poole Harbour. An RNLI hovercraft and Atlantic 75 that were out in Poole Bay training and had come across the vessel and taken it in tow. As the ILB arrived on scene, a second incident was taking place in Studland Bay – a 10m yacht was dragging its anchor and had hit two other vessels.

So that the hovercraft and Atlantic could continue with their training, Portland Coastguard launched the all-weather lifeboat to assist with the tow of the motorcruiser and a decision was made to divert the station’s ILB to the second incident.

The ALB took over the tow of the motorcruiser, with two adults and two children onboard, and towed it into Poole Harbour towards Parkstone Bay Marina. In the meantime, the ILB crew spoke to the crew onboard the yacht that was dragging its anchor to ensure that they were able to secure their anchor properly and also checked that the crew on the vessels that had been hit were all okay. The ILB then returned to Poole Harbour to take over the tow from the ALB as the tide was too low for the ALB to enter Parkstone Bay Marina. Once all were safely ashore, both boats returned to station at 1700.

26 Jul

2000 The ILB launched to a 9m yacht aground near number 8 buoy by North Channel, south of Salterns Marina in Poole Harbour. The vessel, from France, was pulled off the sandbank and then towed to Poole Quay Boat Haven. The crew returned to station at 2053.

25 Jul

1200 While out on exercise the ILB noticed a capsized kayak in the water off Durley Chine with the kayaker in the water struggling to right the craft. The crew pulled the kayaker onboard and then recovered the craft and returned both to the beach at Durley Chine.

24 Jul

1335 Both lifeboats were launched after reports of a collision between a sportsboat and jetski. One person was said to have face and neck injuries. Portland Coastguard’s helicopter Rescue 106 was also tasked and was on scene by the time the lifeboats arrived. A winchman was lowered to the casualty vessel and placed a collar on him before airlifting him to Whitecliff to a waiting ambulance. The ILB then collected details of the two parties involved and escorted the sportsboat to Parkstone Bay Marina. The jetski had already returned to Poole Harbour. Both boats then returned to station. Having washed the boats down and refuelled, the crew were just having some doughnuts and tea when the pagers went off for the ILB to launch again (at 1540), this time to a capsized sailing dinghy off the end of the Training Bank just outside the harbour’s entrance. A motor vessel was already close by and had the two people from the dinghy onboard, which it took to the shore to waiting coastguards at Knoll Beach. The ILB then towed the dinghy to the beach.

23 Jul

1337 The ILB was paged following a report of a person in trouble, possibly having a fit, on Poole Quay. Once on scene the crew realised that he was ashore near one of the shops and an ambulance crew was already with him. The crew returned to station.

22 Jul

1844 While out on exercise the all-weather lifeboat was tasked to a person who had slipped on the rocks near the Haven Hotel at the entrance to the harbour. Once on scene the lifeboat crew found that a paramedic was already with the gentleman who had injured his ankle but the ambulance crew were unable to evacuate him easily from the rocks. Lifeboat crew went ashore with a stretcher to assist. The inshore lifeboat was also launched to help take the stretcher from the beach – the sides of the all-weather lifeboat were too high, making the transfer to it difficult. The man was then taken by the ILB to the Haven steps to the waiting ambulance.

22 Jul

1602 Following a report of a man in distress at Salterns Marina, the ILB launched and were asked to proceed with caution. Once outside the marina, the man was being looked after by police and so the lifeboat crew returned to station.

19 Jul

1955 The ILB launched to a broken-down speedboat with three people onboard and towed it to Baiter slipway.

19 Jul

1726 Both lifeboats launched to a 9m sports cruiser that was taking on water in South Deep behind Green Island and was sinking. When they realised they were in trouble, the four people onboard (two adults and two children) had called out a RIB from a marina to assist them but they then realised that the vessel was taking on water and sinking.
When the inshore lifeboat arrived on scene they found that the people had been taken onto the RIB and were safe. The ILB crew soon got their salvage pump running and tried to find where the ingress of water was coming from. When the all-weather lifeboat arrived they place a larger pump onboard and soon stemmed the flow. When it was all under control, the ALB took the stricken vessel under tow to Parkstone Bay Marina where it was lifted out of the water for further investigation.
Both boats were returning to station when the inshore lifeboat was tasked to assist a 5m speedboat that had broken down off Bournemouth Pier. The boat had suffered an electrical fault and the engine could not start. The inshore lifeboat secured a towline and brought the vessel back to the safety of Baiter slipway.

17 Jul

1806 In breezy conditions, a 3.5m Merlin Rocket had capsized, throwing two people into the water. The two crew were recovered by the ILB and the vessel rerighted and towed to Lilliput Sailing Club.

The ILB was then retasked to investigate a swimmer thought to be in trouble in the water near the Chain Ferry at the harbour’s entrance. Once on scene, a lifeboat crew member went ashore to give the swimmer some suitable advice about where it is safer to swim.

14 Jul

1840 While out on exercise, the inshore lifeboat was called out to assist two windsurfers off Ham Park.

14 Jul

1415 Both lifeboats were launched at the request of Portland Coastguard to a report of a boat on fire at Keysworth Point in Poole Harbour, an area of the harbour close to the entrance of the River Frome. When the inshore lifeboat volunteers arrived on scene they found a 9m vessel, which was ablaze, beached on a mudflat in the reeds. There had been one man onboard and he had abandoned the boat and was stood on the shore.

The inshore lifeboat managed to get alongside despite the very shallow water and the volunteer crew started to douse the flames and soon got the fire under control.
The helicopter arrived on scene and took the man to the landing site at Whitecliff, to a waiting ambulance. The man was then taken to Poole Hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation. The boat was smouldering and the crew continued to douse it down as there were concerns about the boat being so near to the heathland and the crew wanted to make sure that it would not reignite as it would be high and dry at low water.

The all-weather lifeboat then picked up a fire officer from Lake Pier and took him to the stricken vessel. It is thought the boat caught fire due to an electrical fault. The lifeboat crew only returned to station after the boat had been given the all clear by the fire officer.

10 Jul

1255 The ILB launched to a broken-down 8m cruiser with one person onboard in Wareham Channel. The crew towed it to Ridge Wharf. The lifeboat crew were then retasked to a broken-down 6m sportsboat in East Looe Channel, which they towed to Cobbs Quay.

4 Jul

1050 The all-weather lifeboat was out in Poole Bay on exercise when it was tasked by Portland Coastguard to bring a yacht in that had suffered fuel contamination. As they were bringing this into the harbour the inshore lifeboat was tasked to a report of two people in the water after capsizing their dinghy off Wills Cut. The volunteer crew soon recovered the two people who had been in the water for sometime in freshening conditions. An ambulance was requested to go to the lifeboat station where the crew brought the people back so they could be checked over. The ILB then returned to pick up the dinghy and towed this to Parkstone Yacht Club. By this time the ALB had brought the yacht under tow back to Poole Quay, which the ILB then towed beyond Poole Bridge to Cobbs Quay. The ALB was then retasked to another yacht that required assistance.

27 Jun

0241 Woken from their slumbers, the ILB crew launched to a broken down clamming boat near Arne Beach with nine people onboard. The boat was towed to Poole Quay Boat Haven and the crew returned to station just after 4am.

26 Jun

1512 The ILB launched to two people who had been thrown from a jetski at high speed. They were taken to Sandbanks ferry jetty where they were passed over to a waiting ambulance crew.

26 Jun

1305 Saturday lunchtime saw both boats launched to a report of a boat on fire. The vessel had acrid black smoke bellowing from it. The lifeboats took the stricken vessel under tow and ashore to North Haven where the vessel was checked over by the fire brigade. When everything was deemed safe the lifeboats returned to station.

26 Jun

0341 The pagers woke the volunteer crews after several people on the beach 1 mile west of Bournemouth Pier had reported that they had heard cries for help from the sea. Both lifeboats launched and when they arrived on scene, the sun was rising and the inshore lifeboat spotted a man in a 1m child’s inflatable dinghy some 1 mile west of the pier. The crew checked the man was okay and took him onboard the inshore lifeboat and then ashore to waiting coastguards on the beach. The lifeboat returned to station and the crews to their beds around 5.30am.

Volunteer Coxswain Jonathan Clark said “Any inflatable like dinghies and lilo’s are so dangerous. You cannot steer them, they are full of air and very light. If there’s a sudden gust of wind, they can easily be swept away or you could be caught unawares by a wave. Even when the sea is calm, there can be a strong undercurrent and you could find yourself being swept out to sea in seconds. One minute your can be in a few feet of water and then with an offshore wind and turning tide, you could find yourself a long way out, especially in the dead of the night when there is nobody out there to help or see you” Jonathan added “This man was extremely lucky”.

25 Jun

2218 Just after 10pm, the inshore lifeboat was requested to launch by Portland Coastguard to a report of a person in the water off Poole Quay. The lifeboat crew recovered the person and brought him back ashore to a waiting ambulance.

25 Jun

1816 The inshore lifeboat launched to a report of two yachts that had collided in an area inside the harbour called Brownsea Roads. A yacht had run into another yacht on its mooring. Although no one was injured, the yacht that hit the stationary vessel was dismasted and its gear was badly entangled. The inshore lifeboat arrived on scene and the volunteer crew worked hard to disentangle the yachts. They then towed the stricken vessel back to Shell Bay Yacht Club.

24 Jun

1922 Following reports of a fire near the railway line at the back of Holes Bay in the harbour on Pergins Island, the ILB and boarding boat helped to transfer firefighters from the shore to the island. They remained on scene until firefighters were sure the fire was out and the area was safe.

24 Jun

1638 One person, suffering with deep-vein thrombosis was transferred from his yacht to the ILB and taken to a waiting ambulance at Sandbanks jetty

20 Jun

2054 Following a mayday call from a 4m speedboat that was taking on water on the harbour side of the breakwater at Poole Quay Marina, the ILB crew launched and prepared their salvage pump to help pump the water out. The ILB crew rigged up a tow and the vessel and its two occupants were towed to Baiter slipway without the need to use the pump. Once safely ashore the ILB crew returned to station at 2210.

19 Jun

1445 While both lifeboats were tied up on Poole Quay, having just returned from escorting the fishermen’s race as part of Harry Paye Day, a request came for them to launch to the aid of an 11m yacht aground near number 19 buoy in Poole Harbour. Two ILB crew members were placed onboard the vessel while the ALB crew attached a tow and pulled the vessel clear into deep water. The crew then passed some navigation advice about Poole Harbour to the two crew onboard before both lifeboats returned to the Quay to continue the pirate celebrations.

Four ILB crew members later won the ‘Arry Paye Challenge Trophy, gaining the challenge plate back again after their previous win in 2008. Well done lads! (The ALB crew didn’t make it past the heats!)

15 Jun

The ILB launched following concerns from a yacht skipper that he had noticed another yacht coming in to moor up the previous evening but had not seen anyone during the morning and the yacht was dragging its anchor. He was unable to check as the yacht was too far aground for him to get close enough to him.

The ILB launched to check and found that all was well. The two crew onboard had been having breakfast and realised that they hadn’t put enough anchor chain and rope out. The lifeboat crew checked that they were happy to carry on with their trip and, after the Coastguard had informed them that north easterly force 6–8 winds were forecast later in the day, the two crew onboard the yacht were planning to make their way to Wareham and moor up there. The ILB returned to station at 1030.

10 Jun

1830 The ALB was on exercise with another boat in Studland Bay at 6.30pm, and overheard a VHF call for help from Royal Motor Yacht Club (RMYC) to Portland Coastguard that an R19 yacht had capsized 'badly' in front of RMYC. The ALB immediately turned and made good speed to the location after being tasked by Portland. Due to the location of the casualty in shallow water the ILB was also paged and launched. Read the full story of the recovery...

6 Jun

1450 The all-weather lifeboat was called to assist a trimaran that had been holed by a collision with a jetski. One lifeboat crew member was transferred to the vessel by a passing RIB, checking that the two crew onboard were uninjured. As the vessel was not taking on water the lifeboat escorted the yacht back up the harbour towards Poole Yacht Club.

As the lifeboat neared Stakes buoy, the crew came across another yacht that had lost engine power. Checking that the trimaran was still not taking on any water, the lifeboat rigged a tow on the second yacht and towed it to Poole Quay Boat Haven.