THE RNLI has taken delivery of a new inshore lifeboat – which was called out to rescue a vessel shortly after arriving in the Island.
The Atlantic 85, called The Spirit of St Helier, has replaced David Page, which entered service in January 2007.
It is the 134th Atlantic 85-class lifeboat to be produced by the RNLI and carries the identification number B-934.
Over the years, David Page has been involved in a number of high-profile call-outs, including the rescue of a fisherman on rocks near Noirmont; a diver who became separated from his boat, two rowers who had capsized in St Aubin’s Bay and, most recently, two pilots whose light aircraft had ditched in the sea off Gorey.
And no sooner had The Spirit of St Helier completed its sea trial than it was called out to help a boat which had broken down near the Harbour entrance in what the RNLI described as a ‘great christening’ for the life-saving boat.
An official naming ceremony for The Spirit of St Helier will be held next year.
