Ryde Inshore Rescue are still averaging 15 callouts a week despite losing their main launch vehicle when it sunk in the clay off Ryde Harbour last Friday.
Thanks to the kindness of Reynolds and Reid the vehicle was only under for one tide before they managed to pull it out with one of their excavators at around 8pm that night.
Parts salvaged
The crew of Ryde Rescue are also extremely grateful to Sam Shaw of Shaw’s garage and his neighbour Steve Angus who worked throughout the night to salvage as many bits as possible and reduced damage inflicted by the salt water.
The lifeboat station were off service for a total of 12 hours but within 45 minutes after becoming operational again were tasked to a sunken boat off Seaview.
Since then they have attended several incidents involving mainly yachts including one callout in the middle of the night to one who lost his rudder when he hit Ryde Sands.
The total number of callouts for the lifeboat unit this year currently stands at 77.
