Chiswick Lifeboat Helmsman Prevents High Jinks Turning Into High Drama
Busy weekend for local RNLI lifeboat crew
Picture: RNLI (Dave Clarke)
A Chiswick RNLI Helmsman prevented high jinx becoming high drama when he warned a group of teenagers about the dangers of jumping in the river.
Mark Turrell was on shift on Saturday evening (25 May) when he saw a group of teenagers gathering around the iron steps on the embankment just east of Chiswick Pier.
Mark said ‘As I watched, a lad in just sports shorts emerged up the steps soaking wet and had obviously jumped into the river from the top of the steps. He was gesticulating to his mates that he was going to jump in again so I donned my life-jacket and took my crash helmet, in case we got a service call, and went down to the group.
" I spoke to the whole group explaining the dangers of what they were undertaking and the amount of young people I have dealt with over my time on the Thames lifeboats that had not been lucky enough to resurface after such high jinx. To my surprise, the whole group were very engaging and apologetic and after a few minutes of listening to me the one that appeared to be the leader shook my hand and the whole group thanked me for my time and went on their way.’
Last year Chiswick RNLI crews recovered a man who was critically injured when he jumped into the river in Putney, not realising that the water was only a couple of feet deep.
RNLI Community Safety Officer John Soones added ‘The summer period with the end of exams coming up is often a time when teenagers let off steam and are tempted to go in the river, not knowing the dangers. This example shows what authority RNLI lifeboat crew members can have in what one might expect to be an awkward encounter.’
Earlier that day the Lifeboat had launched just after 15.00 to a report of a motor vessel drifting near Kew.
The lifeboat arrived by Oliver’s Ait at 15.11 to find an umpire’s launch holding a tow to a small motor cruiser with 6 persons on board. The lifeboat took over the tow and manoeuvred the cruiser to the PLA pontoon opposite Strand-on-the-Green.
The boat’s owner had arranged for a friend to come from Richmond to give him a tow, so with all on board safe, the lifeboat returned to the station.
Helmsman Andy Mayo said ‘The owner told us that the vessel had run aground while avoiding rowers in the middle of the river; as a result his prop was damaged and so he lost control of the vessel. He was able to call for assistance and we arrived on scene within 5 minutes ensuring that the situation did not become more serious’
Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland.
Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002,
Chiswick Lifeboat has attended over 3,500 incidents and rescued over 1,750
people, and dozens of dogs. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.
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June 1, 2019