AN EXERCISE in communications between the volunteers of Lyme Bay National Coastwatch and the RNLI lifeboat stationed in Lyme Regis was hailed a huge success.
The Lyme Bay branch of the National Coastwatch Institution asked the RNLI to take part in the exercise, the first such event using their new look-out station above the beach at Burton Bradstock.
The NCI’s former look-out station high on the cliffs overlooking Burton Bradstock was destroyed during the February storms.
The exercise at sea between West Bexington and Freshwater involved the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat, and the Inshore Fisheries vessel Protector. The scenario was designed to test the NCI watchkeepers’ ability to communicate with the lifeboat.
The one hour exercise included two lifeboat crew members, John Cable and Tom Crabbe, acting the roles of swimmers in trouble and a crew member aboard Protector was reported to be ‘injured.’ Helmsman of the Lyme Regis RNLI lifeboat, Brian Street, said: “This exercise can only help to foster good working relations between our two volunteer organisations and, of course, there were training benefits for us, too.”
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