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***See Call Out Page for latest launches*** - Click here to go to 2007 news
Old Abersoch RNLI News Items: 70's Fancy Dress Glam Rock Fundraising Party - Friday 8th September: This took place at 5 Degrees West and was a successful night with over £1300.00 raised! Click here for photos at John Wormald's site. 13/08/06: Flag Day Saturday 29th July: This years Flag Day raised a record £3087.16. Many thanks to all the collectors and the genersosity of the public. 05/06/06: Open Day 2006 Photos : Some photos from this years Open Day have now been added - click here. 05/06/06:Busy Sunday : On Sunday afternoon, the Abersoch Lifeboat was called out 3 times in succession. The volunteer crew were first called out at approx 3pm after reports of a 39 foot powerboat was sinking on its mooring - click here for details... 05/06/06: Open
Day 2006: This years Open Day was
a great success. Visitors were met with blue skies and warm sunshine
and they were able to enjoy the many stalls and see the lifeboat and
station equipment meet the crew.
12/04/06: Bardsey Shout Photos: We recently received some photos taken during a shout to Bardsey in 2002 in some very high seas (as the photo below shows!), when Abersoch Lifeboat was pushed to the limit of its capabilities.
25/06/05: Rescue Of Foal: This took place on Friday 24th June - click here for the full story and photos...
04/06/05: Abersoch RNLI Open Day: This event took place on the 3rd June and was extremely well attended with a record sum raised for the running of Abersoch Lifeboat station (confirmed figure to follow). There was also a tractor pull contest with one of our helms, Fritz taking on team Fordson Major led by station mechanic, Vic Jones. Fritz was in his nearly new John Deere whilst Vic's team put 3 then 4 then 5 Fordson Majors up against him. The debate about who actually won is ongoing!!!! Many thanks to all who came to the open day and to all the volunteers who helped. Click here to view photos of the event. 04/06/05: 3 Whitsun Shouts: there have been free shouts over the whitsun holidays - see call out page... 27/08/04: Flag Day Record. The recent Flag Day collected a record £2495.58 towards the cost of running the Abersoch Lifeboat. A big thanks to all the volunteers who collected and to those who donated. 29/06/04: Abersoch Lifeboat
Station held its annual Open Day on 4th June and it proved to be a
great success. Several hundred people visited the station and met
members of the crew during the day and the refreshments, stalls and
BBQ were often busy. One of the days highlights was a a sponsored
shave for helm and local Jeweller Simon Harris who had been growing
a beard for many months and who also ended up losing most of his hair
in the process. Simon alone raised £434 for his efforts and
the stalls and refreshments raised another £1000. Mr Adrian
Boult of the Vaynol Arms, Abersoch also brought along the proceeds
from their collection bottle which added another £351 to the
days total.
____________________________________ 14/05/04: The recent fundraising evening held at SCYC with guest speaker mountaineer and author Bear Grylls, was a great success with over £1500 raised for the running of Abersoch Lifeboat station. Thanks to all who made the evening such a success with special thanks to Bear for donating his time for free. ____________________________________ 15/04/04:Open Day 2004: Abersoch Lifeboat Station will hold its annual open day on Friday June 4th. All are welcome to visit the station and meet the crew. ____________________________________ - 10/04/04: First Shout - The Abersoch Lifeboat's first shout or call out of the season occurred on Good Friday when assistance was give to a man with a severely injured arm on a yacht off Abersoch. The man was taken by the lifeboat back to the lifeboat station for medical treatment with paramedics before he was tranferred to hospital by RAF helicopter. ____________________________________ - 21/03/04: The Abercoch Branch
of the RNLI recently held a quiz and supper evening at The Sandpiper
Restaurant in Abersoch. The event was well supported and over £400
was raised for the running of Abersoch Lifeboat Station. ____________________________________
- 11/01/04: Letter of Congratulation from RNLI Chief Executive received by crew member Terry O'Neil for his involvement in a rescue carried out on 7th August 2003. Terry was presented with the letter by Abersoch Chairman J.G. Jones and Hon Sec Barrie McGill. The letter reads as follows... "A report has been received from your Deputy Divisional Inspector on the service by Abersoch inshore lifeboat on 7 August 2003. Holyhead Coastguard had requested lifeboat assistance following a report of a teenager who had fallen down a cliff at Cilan Head. The Atlantic Class lifeboat B790, Margaret Bench Of Solihill, was launched at 1645 with Neil McGill at the helm. You Simon Harris and Chas Myers were the crew. Conditions were benign and making full speed the lifeboat was on the scene at 1650. After a brief search the teenager was observed clinging to a steep grassy slope some 40 feet above the beach. The teenager had been cut off by the tide and had decided to attempt to climb out of trouble. Although the base of the rock is bare rock, it soon become covered in soil and grass, which makes it very treacherous and affording few hand holds. The teenager had become stuck on this grassy area, unable to either climb further or retreat. Neil carefully beached the lifeboat and you and he went to assist. Neil attempted to climb, but was unable to get far because of the lack of hand holds. The teenager was becoming increasingly distressed and was slowly losing his grip. He was in very real danger of sliding down the steep slope onto the rocks below. You removed your lifejacket and carefully climbed the slope towards him. This was not easy because of the lack of hand holds and the cumbersome nature of the RNLI PPE. Reaching the teenager you assured him and physically held him against the face of the slope. You dug at the soil with your bare hands and kicked into the slope to reveal the rock face and a better grip. You held the teenager against the slope for almost 40 minutes before a coastguard team was able to lower him to safety. You are to be congratulated on your determination, care and compassion and stamina in doing all that you did in assisting to save the teenagers life. Very well done indeed! Andrew Freemantle Chief Executive"
Annual Raft Race The lifeboat team were unable to make it 3 wins in a row at the annual Abersoch Regatta raft race on Monday 11th August. Unfortunately the previously unbeatable raft sank half way round the course! ____________________________________ Go Kart Challenge The annual go kart challenge between the Abersoch crew and Abersoch Fire Station was once again won by the lifeboatmen. Two teams of 8 drivers took part in very wet conditions at the Glasfryn Kart Track - which meant a head to toe soaking for everyone. The racing was close and the result was in doubt right up to the moment when organisers Vic (RNLI) and Craig (Fire) totted up the final scores in the Vaynol Arms. ____________________________________ Abersoch RNLI Open Day. This was held on 30th May and was blessed with bright sunshine and blue skies. The day was a great success with £874.00 raised from the various stalls, BBQ and the shop.
____________________________________ Handing
Over Ceremony Of The New Lifeboat "Margaret Bench Of Solihull"
and Centenary Celebrations for Abersoch Lifeboat.
The Rt. Rev'd Saunders Davies, Lord Bishop of Bangor, dedicated the boat assisted by the Rev'd Andrew Jones, Area Dean of Lleyn and Eifionnydd, Fr. Harry Clarke and the Rev'd Olwen Williams. Refreshments were then provided at S.C.Y.C.
It was a cause for double celebrations with a Centenary Vellum presented to the station that evening at S.C.Y.C. with a celebration supper and entertainment from the Blue Magnolia Jazz Orchestra. The station was first opened, at a cost of £170 in 1869. It closed in 1931 and re-opened as an inshore lifeboat station in June 1965. The award celebrates an aggregate of 100 years service. The Vellum was presented to Abersoch SHS Barrie McGill by George Rawlinson of the RNLI. Since 1869, the station's crews have launched 679 times and saved 237 lives. Two RNLI silver medals have been awarded to the station, in 1870 and 1879. More recently in 2001, after a rescue of a girl and her dog trapped by the tide at Porth Ceiriad, Helmsman Richard Hughes and crew member Simon Harris were presented with the Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum for the rescue of her and her dog Jet, on 26th October, 2000. Crew members Adrian Bennett and Terry O'Neil also received vellum service certificates.
______________________________________ Abersoch
RNLI Press Release: 05/02/02 We have won the "Abersoch Raft Race" for the forth time in a row. It was hard work, but we beat the record of 12 minutes with a marvelous 9 minutes, then immediately followed by a call out to look for a missing person at Hells Mouth, fortunately the person was found safe and well by Abersoch Coastguard.
Abersoch RNLI Press Release: 12/08/01 "In the early hours of Sunday morning, the Lifeboat was called out to a yacht in distress several miles out in Cardigan Bay. Weather conditions were poor with large seas and very bad visibility. The yacht was located and was found to have autohelm and engine problems. A Lifeboat crew member managed to board the yacht and sail it to the safety of Abersoch Bay, escorted by the lifeboat. The passengers on the yacht were found to be exhausted, but otherwise in good health.
Abersoch
Lifeboat also assisted the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club with its
Regatta Day on Saturday." Abersoch RNLI Press Release: 11/08/01 Abersoch Lifeboat last night joined a major search operation when an inflatable boat with 4 adults and 3 children was reported missing. The search involved all Coastguard and Lifeboat stations from Porth Dinllaen to Barmouth and a helicopter from RAF Valley. The boat had launched from Abersoch during the afternoon and had failed to return by late in the evening when the alarm was raised. The missing 7 were discovered later in Abersoch having left their boat on a mooring in Pwllheli. Abersoch
RNLI Press Release: 23/07/01
A fundraising “hog roast” was held by Abersoch RNLI on the evening of Saturday 21st July at Abersoch Powerboat Club. The evening was a sell-out success with a total of £1675.00 raised for the local branch.
During the evening, long service awards were presented to Wyn Jones of Castellmarch Farm (15 years as helm) and to David Williams (11 years as Branch Treasurer) by Station DLA, Gareth Hughes-Jones.
Abersoch
RNLI would like to thank all those who attended, the staff of Abersoch
Powerboat club who donated their services for free and to those who
generously donated raffle prizes. Abersoch
RNLI Press Release: 24/06/01 The annual karting race between the local Lifeboat and Fire Crews was taken once again by the lifeboat for the third successive year on Wednesday. Held each year at the Glasfryn Karting centre near Pwllheli, the racing was reported as being as close as ever, with Adrian Bennett claiming the individual honours despite carrying a weight disadvantage.
Abersoch
RNLI Press Release: 01/03/01 Abersoch lifeboat Helmsman Richard Hughes and Crew Member Simon Harris will be awarded with the Thanks of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution inscribed on Vellum for the rescue of a girl and her dog on 26th October, 2000. Crew Members Adrian Bennett and Terence O'Neil will each receive a vellum service certificate and the helicopter pilot Squadron Leader Lee Calderwood will receive a letter from the RNLI's operations director. In his official report, Simon Mann, divisional inspector of lifeboats for the West says, "The courageous and selfless acts of the lifeboat crew, in particular the excellent seamanship of the Helmsman Richard Hughes and bravery of Crew Member Simon Harris, saved the life of Kathryn Sharman and her dog."
The Abersoch Lifeboat has been called out 24 times so far this year.
The RNLI is funded by voluntary donations and all crew are volunteers. |
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