Usually, the lifesavers of Cowes RNLI Station answer mayday calls. But this May, it’s they who need your help – so the station is putting on a Mayday fundraiser and 999 day to raise vital funds.
The event and fundraiser will take place on the Parade in Cowes on Saturday (3rd May). Families, children and people of all ages can come down and learn about the work of some of the island’s emergency services.
Cowes RNLI station will be open to visitors, and, subject to operational requirements, voluntary services will be displaying vehicles and equipment. Crew and lifeboats from Cowes’ flanking stations, Yarmouth RNLI and Calshot RNLI will be in attendance, along with other local independent inshore lifeboats.
RNLI mascot, Stormy Stan, will be on hand for pictures, hugs and high-fives.
The Isle of Wight’s 3 coastguard teams will attend: Needles, Ventnor and Bembridge. Cowes Fire Station will attend with their pump, alongside St Johns Ambulance Service and Wight Dolphins Diving group.
As is tradition, Cowes RNLI volunteer boat crew will run their own Mayday Mile at midday. The crew will start outside the lifeboat station and run a relay across the Parade, donning pieces of their kit along the way, including dry-suits, life jackets and helmets, and carrying the RNLI’s ‘Dead Fred’ training dummy on a stretcher. The relay will end at the lifeboat station, where crew members will have a chance to catch their breath before demonstrating some lifeboat skills with a rescue demonstration off the parade.
Event Timeline:
10:30 – Coastguard demonstration: throwing lines and water rescue kit on public slipway
11:00 – Arrival of Yarmouth and Calshot lifeboats.
12:00 – Midday May Day Mile relay race
13:00 – RNLI Diver recovery demonstration inside Trinity
14:30 – Joint RNLI and Coastguard water rescue demonstration
