5 rescued from makeshift raft

The Moelfre inshore lifeboat rescued the five men on their makeshift raft as they struggled to paddle back to shore in 20 mph winds.

Some of the men in their makeshift raft off Anglesey
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The five men were found half a mile off the coast of Anglesey, drifting in a makeshift raft made out of two dinghies.

The Moelfre inshore lifeboat was launched after a concerned member of the public had contacted the Holyhead coastguard about a dinghy drifting offshore in Benllech bay.

The volunteer crew located the dinghy using the station’s high powered binoculars.

Some of the men in their makeshift raft off Anglesey

The five men in their makeshift raft. Credit: Moelfre RNLI

 

The Moelfre’s coastguard team was also tasked.

Once on scene, the volunteer lifeboat crew quickly located the dinghies and secured them alongside.

The five young men, aged between 21-23, had tied together two six foot inflatable dinghies to make a makeshift raft.

The men had paddled out to a navigation buoy in the bay, but failed to get back against the fresh 20mph offshore wind.

Although cold, the five men did not require any medical attention so they were taken aboard the lifeboat and transferred back to the beach.

The volunteer crew later recovered the dinghies to prevent any further reports by members of the public.

The RNLI helm at Moelfre lifeboat station, Vince Jones said the five men were lucky.

“Fortunately the five occupants of the dinghies were located quickly and the call for assistance was made early by a vigilant member of the public,” he said.

“They did not realise the danger until they saw just how far offshore they had actually drifted,” commented Jones.

He continued: “The RNLI’s current #RespectTheWater campaign highlights the dangers of coastal waters and in particular is aimed at men aged 16 to 39 who are more prone to getting into danger on the coast – in the UK they account for over two-thirds of the coastal deaths over the past five years.”

“The five young men did exactly the right thing and stayed with the boat and weren’t tempted to swim for shore,” stated the helm.

The rescue took place on 23 June.

This is the second incident for Moelfre’s volunteer crew in the last two days, where the strong offshore wind has resulted in the need for people to be rescued.