Spate of call-outs in quick succession for Lowestoft Lifeboat

A busy spell of call-outs has kept the volunteer crew of Lowestoft lifeboat busy.

The Lowestoft relief RNLI Lifeboat 'Reg' was called out five times in the space of four days this week as August has proved to be the busiest month of the year so far.

On Sunday the lifeboat launched about 12.45pm to a report of a swimmer in difficulties off north Lowestoft. The lifeboat crew found the man had managed to make his own way ashore near to Tramps Alley. They dropped a lifeboat crew member onto the beach with a blanket to wrap around the shaken swimmer – who was sitting with a companion on a groyne. He was checked over and handed Into the care of the Lowestoft & Southwold coastguard rescue team.

A humanitarian call from the police at noon on Monday sent the lifeboat crew to bring ashore a man who had died while working on a large oil tanker, which was anchored off Southwold. Coxswain John Fox said: 'The French registered crude oil tanker, DHT Europe, was 17-miles south east of Lowestoft. It is 333 metres in length and dwarfed the lifeboat. The transfer using a basket stretcher went smoothly and the Coroner's ambulance met us on our return to the lifeboat station.'

At 9pm on Monday the lifeboat crew assisted a small angling boat, named Miracle, with engine failure one-and-a-half-miles off Kessingland. The two men on board had dropped their anchor while they awaited rescue, as the lifeboat crew brought them safely back into the harbour.

A solo sailor, who had set out from Lowestoft on a pleasure trip to Southwold, suffered engine failure at 8pm on Tuesday. Mr Fox said: 'The 32ft yacht, Resolution, had been struggling to make its way back to Lowestoft and called for our help. We met up with the vessel a mile and a half east of Lowestoft and towed him into the Yacht basin.'

And at 2.20pm on Wednesday the lifeboat crew searched for a drifting dinghy, which was thought to be in danger of being washed up on rocks. The 14ft Mahogany clinker-built dinghy had become detached from the yacht that was towing it off Ness Point and the yacht was unable to reconnect the tow line.

Mr Fox said: 'We were called out to recover the dinghy to prevent false alarm calls and to avoid anyone hitting it in the dark. We located it one and a half miles north-east of the harbour and to the north of Links Road and brought it back into the Yacht basin and reunited it with its owners.

'August has been the busiest month of the year for us with 11 calls in total.'