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Thu, 19 Oct 2023
The volunteers of Port St Mary RNLI have been recognised by the charity for the rescue of three experienced yachtsmen from their yacht in November 2021.
Port St Mary volunteers welcomed His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and Lady Lorimer to present the awards.
The lifeboats launched into a rough sea and a force 5 wind, gusting 7 with an increasing 3 metre swell on November 6 2021 to a yacht which had caught its propeller and rudder on a lobster pot rope in the darkness close to the Carrick beacon.
Mike Keggen and Richard Leigh assessed the situation and agreed that the all-weather lifeboat was unable to get close to the yacht but would offer shelter for the inshore lifeboat to enable the smaller boat go alongside to take the yachtsmen off.
As conditions continued to deteriorate and on the first run in, one yachtsman was recovered and transferred to the all-weather lifeboat. The inshore lifeboat then returned to evacuate the other two yachtsmen. The volunteer crew chose the moment to instruct the yachtsmen to slide down into the inshore lifeboat and be transferred to the all-weather lifeboat.
The RNLI commented that “the yachtsmen knew what they were doing. They had sensibly called for help early. They knew their lives were in the balance”.
For superb boat handling, seamanship and courage, Richard Leigh has been awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry.
Coxswain Mike Keggen, Mechanic Gareth Watt, Lifeboat Operations Manager Sarah Keggen and crew Members Laura Cordner, Daniel Grace, Chris Hill, Brian Kelly, Robert Marshall and Mark Pendlebury were awarded official commendations.
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