Rescue Archive
18 April 2024
Caister Lifeboat was paged last night (17/04/24) at 22:51 by Humber Coastguard with reports of 2 distress beacons 20 nautical miles NE of Caister. Our all-weather lif eboat, Bernard Matthews ll, was launched by 22:59, and the crew proceeded at best speed towards the coordinates provided. At 23:18 a call came through from the Coastguard to say it was a false activation from a military aircraft and to stand down. The lifeboat returned to the station by 23:36 for a full wash down and fuel up , ready for the next shout.
25 July 2022
This footage is taken from the third emergency call-out of the Caister Lifeboat tasked yesterday to reports of a swimmer in difficulty off Winterton.
1 January 2022
Our last shout of 2021; with just four hours of the year remaining, at 1955 Caister Lifeboat was paged to launch. HM Coastguard had received reports of a red distress flare in the Scroby Sands Wind Farm or Scratby area. With Aaron Thurlow at the wheel and with coxswain Guy Gibson, second coxswain Tommy Williams, Greg Carter, Laurence Billington, Jamie Smith and Rob Bush on board, the Bernard Matthews II was in the water within seven minutes. Despite an extensive search, using our new high-powered search lamps, nothing was found. With Zane Billington on the tractor, Paul Garrod, Richard Thurlow, Alex Low and Colin Willavize on the beach, the boat was back ashore by 2115. Have a safe celebration tonight; and be careful fireworks don’t get mistaken for distress flares! Happy New Year everyone!!
3 November 2021
Caister Lifeboat was paged at 18:23 this evening to reports of a Pan Pan call from a vessel north of Caister. The vessel Edradour had lost power to both engines and was drifting quickly at 5 knots along the coast with a risk of running aground on the beach. With Coxswain Guy Gibson at the helm, the ALB lifeboat Bernard Matthews ll was launched within 7 minutes and heading for the casualty vessel which was now directly in front of the lifeboat shed. Crew member Owen Nutt boarded the vessel Edradour to check persons on board and crew members Tommy Williams, Aaron Thurlow, Greg Carter, Laurence Billington, Adam Pimple and Rob Bush the prepared and connected a tow line to the Vessel Edradour. The ALB then towed the casualty to Lowestoft Harbour and arrived at 19:57. Due the extremely bad weather, it was decided the ALB would have to be beached for recovery. Tractor driver was Zane Billington and beach crew members to help recover the ALB were Colin Willavize, Karl Purenins and Jack Atkinson.
25 October 2021
Tonight the Inshore Lifeboat was launched for a nighttime search and rescue operation. The simulated report stated a casualty was on the beach between Caister Lifeboat station and Winterton on Sea. The boat, under the command of Aaron Thurlow, with Jamie Smith on VHF radio and Andrew Turner and Robert Bush on the search lights, headed north on a flat calm sea at 6.5 knots. Within a few minutes, we spotted the casualty taking shelter on the rocks at California, where Andrew and Rob were put ashore to assess his condition and get him on board the lifeboat. Parts of this scenario could not be filmed for operational reasons but we hope you can get an insight into some of our ways of working by watching this film.
18 April 2024
Caister Lifeboat was paged last night (17/04/24) at 22:51 by Humber Coastguard with reports of 2 distress beacons 20 nautical miles NE of Caister. Our all-weather lif eboat, Bernard Matthews ll, was launched by 22:59, and the crew proceeded at best speed towards the coordinates provided. At 23:18 a call came through from the Coastguard to say it was a false activation from a military aircraft and to stand down. The lifeboat returned to the station by 23:36 for a full wash down and fuel up , ready for the next shout.
25 July 2022
This footage is taken from the third emergency call-out of the Caister Lifeboat tasked yesterday to reports of a swimmer in difficulty off Winterton.
1 January 2022
Our last shout of 2021; with just four hours of the year remaining, at 1955 Caister Lifeboat was paged to launch. HM Coastguard had received reports of a red distress flare in the Scroby Sands Wind Farm or Scratby area. With Aaron Thurlow at the wheel and with coxswain Guy Gibson, second coxswain Tommy Williams, Greg Carter, Laurence Billington, Jamie Smith and Rob Bush on board, the Bernard Matthews II was in the water within seven minutes. Despite an extensive search, using our new high-powered search lamps, nothing was found. With Zane Billington on the tractor, Paul Garrod, Richard Thurlow, Alex Low and Colin Willavize on the beach, the boat was back ashore by 2115. Have a safe celebration tonight; and be careful fireworks don’t get mistaken for distress flares! Happy New Year everyone!!
3 November 2021
Caister Lifeboat was paged at 18:23 this evening to reports of a Pan Pan call from a vessel north of Caister. The vessel Edradour had lost power to both engines and was drifting quickly at 5 knots along the coast with a risk of running aground on the beach. With Coxswain Guy Gibson at the helm, the ALB lifeboat Bernard Matthews ll was launched within 7 minutes and heading for the casualty vessel which was now directly in front of the lifeboat shed. Crew member Owen Nutt boarded the vessel Edradour to check persons on board and crew members Tommy Williams, Aaron Thurlow, Greg Carter, Laurence Billington, Adam Pimple and Rob Bush the prepared and connected a tow line to the Vessel Edradour. The ALB then towed the casualty to Lowestoft Harbour and arrived at 19:57. Due the extremely bad weather, it was decided the ALB would have to be beached for recovery. Tractor driver was Zane Billington and beach crew members to help recover the ALB were Colin Willavize, Karl Purenins and Jack Atkinson.
25 October 2021
Tonight the Inshore Lifeboat was launched for a nighttime search and rescue operation. The simulated report stated a casualty was on the beach between Caister Lifeboat station and Winterton on Sea. The boat, under the command of Aaron Thurlow, with Jamie Smith on VHF radio and Andrew Turner and Robert Bush on the search lights, headed north on a flat calm sea at 6.5 knots. Within a few minutes, we spotted the casualty taking shelter on the rocks at California, where Andrew and Rob were put ashore to assess his condition and get him on board the lifeboat. Parts of this scenario could not be filmed for operational reasons but we hope you can get an insight into some of our ways of working by watching this film.
