RNLI volunteers from Burnham-on-Sea were called out to two emergencies last week. 

The first incident occurred just before 9.30pm on Friday, November 15. Volunteers were paged by HM Coastguard at Milford Haven after concern for someone in the River Parrett at Bridgwater, with Burnham’s D-class lifeboat Burnham Reach being quickly launched on service.

Helmsman, Marc Smith explained: “Once on the water we confirmed tasking with Milford and proceeded to the location. As we approached the mouth of the Brue at Burnham Sailing club we were hit a thick wall of fog, therefore commenced preparing a navigation plan up the Parrett.”

“Whilst we were planning our route, Milford informed us the police had recovered the person and stood us down.”

The team returned to the slipway for recovery to the Lifeboat Station and had a quick wash down. Thick fog and temperatures had just hit zero as the team launched.

The second incident occurred at just after 7.30pm on Saturday, November 16, crew pagers sounded once again with reports of a yacht aground at the mouth of the River Brue, on a dropping tide.

Burnham’s Atlantic 85 was on the water within fifteen minutes and on scene with the casualty vessel thereafter. The yacht’s skipper was well prepared and plenty of provisions were onboard, and the decision was made to bring the other sailors ashore for the night while the team assembled a crew for the early morning recovery plan.

A spokesperson for Burnham’s RNLI said: “By first light this morning (Sunday), the recovery plan was well under way with the casualty vessel towed safely back to Burnham Sailing club pontoons. It should be noted that it was Helmsman Martins’s first shout as a helm, and Crewmember Julie’s first launch on a shout.”

“Both good outcomes and glad to be of assistance, as we’ve reported before - sailing here on our estuary is often not without challenges - be it mud, tide or the weather conditions as elsewhere, but in this instance with the darker nights low visibility also played its part and the skipper did exactly the right thing by calling it in with the Coastguard.”