AN RNLI lifeboat was put back on station just hours after being retired from service – when another rescue craft suffered a mechanical fault.
Shortly after welcoming a new inshore lifeboat, Spirit of St. Helier, into the harbour yesterday, the organisation announced that David Page had ‘reached the end of her working life in Jersey’ after 15 years’ service.
In a post on social media, the charity noted the vessel’s involvement in numerous rescues – including ‘a fisherman on the rocks near Noirmont, a diver who became separated from his boat, two rowers capsized in St. Aubin’s Bay and, most recently, two pilots who had to ditch their aircraft off the south east coast half way to France’.
‘These rescues, plus countless others assisting people in and around Jersey waters, and literally thousands of hours of training make David Page a very special boat,’ the post read.
‘She will be remembered fondly and never forgotten.’
However, around 24 hours later the RNLI posted that the vessel would remain in use ‘for a little while longer’.
‘Just before the St. Catherine’s inshore lifeboat, Eric W Wilson, was due to be launched on exercise last night, a mechanical failure was spotted on one of the outboard engines,’ the charity wrote.
‘As this failure was going to require an engine replacement, and we now had a spare inshore lifeboat on the Island, the decision was made to put David Page on station at St Catherine’s and the Eric W Wilson will return to the inshore lifeboat centre.
‘This ensures we can maintain full life saving cover of the Island.
‘The St. Catherine’s lifeboat was due for a refit shortly so this process will likely be completed a bit earlier than expected.’
