Yesterday afternoon, 7 July 2025, was a busy one for the volunteer crew of Exmouth RNLI with two shouts coming just a few hours apart.
At 3.47pm, we were tasked by H.M. Coastguard to a swimmer reported to be in difficulty off the beach at Budleigh Salterton. The Exmouth RNLI's D-class lifeboat, George Bearman II, was launched immediately and was soon on scene. Following an assessment of the area, the swimmer was located safely on the beach, soaking up a bit of sunshine after his swim! This shout was classed as a false alarm with good intent and we want to thank members of the public for being so vigilant. When the pager goes, Exmouth RNLI is ready to go!
Later, at 7.34pm, the pagers sounded for a second time - this time to reports of an unmanned rib drifting in the mouth of the River Exe estuary, not far from Exmouth Marina. Exmouth RNLI launched the inshore, D-class lifeboat with three volunteer crew members aboard to the scene. It turned out that in the short time that the launch had taken, the rib had already drifted further and was located conveniently in the water outside the Exmouth RNLI lifeboat station! The charity's lifeboat crew quickly confirmed that the rib was unmanned and manoeuvred alongside to get control of the drifting vessel. It was at that point that another larger rib joined the Exmouth RNLI crew to explain that they knew the owner of the drifting vessel and were happy to take on the tow and return the boat to its mooring at Exmouth Marina. The volunteer crew of the George Bearman II were happy to hand over the rib and would like to express their thanks to this individual for their assistance.
The inshore, D-class lifeboat and its crew returned to the lifeboat station where the boat was washed down and refuelled, ready for when the pager sounds again.
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