There was a good turnout of visitors to the Bembridge RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday for the charity’s annual Open Day.
Over 1,100 people visited the station throughout the day, inspecting the inshore and all-weather lifeboats and enjoying the entertainments and attractions for all ages, both on-shore and in the offshore boathouse.
As well as being a fun event, there was an important message of how to keep safe in, on or around the sea, which was highlighted by Bembridge RNLI’s Coastal Safety team giving out valuable advice, together with HM Coastguard, with around 200 people expressing particular interest in safety issues.
The visits and education team also had a busy day with many youngsters expressing interest in the work of the lifeboats, together with the visitors who were able to go aboard the all-weather lifeboat in groups guided by crew members and see how this amazingly ‘high-tech’ craft is operated.
Just after midday, the offshore boathouse was packed with spectators to witness the launch of the Tamar-class all-weather lifeboat ‘Alfred Albert Williams’ which, together with the inshore lifeboat ‘Norman Harvey’ entertained the crowds with a thrilling simulated rescue and display, close to the shoreline, demonstrating how the lifeboats can respond and operate in an emergency.
Over the course of the day, in excess of £3,000 in support of the lifeboats was raised from sales of RNLI goods, refreshments and from donation collections.
