Douglas RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched today (20 March) at 12.37pm at the request of the Coastguard.

A 10m fishing boat had been operating approximately 4 miles south of Douglas when its propellers were fouled by another boat’s fishing nets. Unable to clear the obstruction and make their own way the crew radioed the Coastguard for assistance.

The Douglas all-weather lifeboat, Marine Engineer, under the command of volunteer coxswain, Edd Christian, headed south out off Douglas on a calm sea and with excellent visibility quickly found the casualty vessel.

Having first ensured that the two people on board were not in need of any immediate assistance themselves the fishing boat was taken under tow back to Douglas.

With the fishing boat safely berthed the lifeboat was recovered to the boathouse where it was washed down, re-fuelled and made ready again for service by 2.45pm.

Douglas RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers were paged yesterday afternoon (4 February) at the request of the Coastguard to assist in a search for a missing dog.

From the Douglas Coastguard report ‘At 14.55 today Douglas Coastguards were called to rescue a dog that had been washed out to sea from Garwick Beach while being exercised, on arrival on scene it was soon apparent that the dog was too far out by then for us to rescue, Douglas Lifeboat was also launched to assist with the rescue, unfortunately neither service was able to locate or recover the dog despite numerous sweeps of the coast between Garwick and Laxey Harbour’

As darkness fell the search was called off and the RNLI all-weather lifeboat Marine Engineer returned to station to be recovered and made ready again for service.

Today (5 February) the story has a happy ending as the dog has been found on the beach at Garwick alive and well, and apparently none the worse for its adventure.

Douglas RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers were paged today (10 January) at 3.55pm at the request of Douglas Coastguard.

Douglas Coastguard had been called out with other emergency services to a major multi-agency rescue to a motorist and their vehicle which had left the Marine Drive at Keristal and ended up on the beach.

The all-weather lifeboat, Marine Engineer, under the command of coxswain Edd Christian made its way to Port Soderick bay where it stood by off Keristal beach in case its services were required for a casualty evacuation by sea.

Volunteer crewmen James Betteridge and Michael Kaighen went ashore in the lifeboat’s rubber dinghy daughter boat to assist the other services’ personnel already on the beach.

After the one casualty from the vehicle had been recovered by a Coastguard Helicopter and transferred to Nobles Hospital for further treatment, the two crew ashore returned to the lifeboat which then made its way back to Douglas to be recovered to the boathouse and was made ready again for service by 7pm.

Douglas RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers were paged today (11 December) at 11.15pm at the request of the Coastguard to assist in a search for a missing person.

The RNLI all-weather lifeboat Marine Engineer was launched into heavy rain but with a calm sea and the volunteer crew tasked with making a search of the Marine Drive from Douglas Head lighthouse to Port Soderick.

It was while making a shoreline search using the lifeboat’s searchlights they were advised by Douglas Coastguard at 11.45pm they could stand down and return to station as the missing person had been located.

On a falling tide the volunteer shore crew made short work of recovering the lifeboat into the boathouse where it was washed down, re-fuelled and made ready again for service.

Douglas RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers were paged today (16 November) at 12.20am at the request of Douglas Coastguard to assist in a search for a missing person.

In westerly force 6 to 7 winds and a rough sea the RNLI all-weather lifeboat Marine Engineer was launched under the command of volunteer coxswain Edd Christian and tasked with making a search of the Marine Drive from Douglas Head lighthouse to the Toll Gates.

It was while making this search using parachute flares and the lifeboat’s searchlights they were advised by Douglas Coastguard at 12.50am they could stand down and return to station as the missing person had been located safe and well elsewhere.

Douglas RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers were paged today (8 October) at 10.39pm following the report of a person entering the sea off Douglas beach.

On a calm night with a flat sea the RNLI all-weather lifeboat Marine Engineer was launched under the command of volunteer coxswain Edd Christian to assist the Coastguards and Police who were already on the scene.

While the Coastguards searched along the beach the lifeboat crew conducted a shoreline search from the sea north as far as Derby Castle and back utilising both the lifeboat’s search lights and parachute flares.

At this point the lifeboat’s daughter boat, an inflatable dinghy, was launched and volunteer crewmen James Bettridge and Michael Kaighen made for the Tower of Refuge where they landed and were able to confirm after a search that there was no one there. Meanwhile the lifeboat crew made a further sweep of the Douglas shore line before returning to recover the daughter boat and its crew.

After one further sweep of the Bay at the request of Belfast Coastguard, with no one found the lifeboat was stood down to return to station where it was re-housed and made ready again for service by12.30am.

Douglas RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched today (19 September) at 1.50pm at the request of the Coastguard.

Coastguard statement on the incident:-
“At 13.01 Douglas Coastguards were called to a jet skier in difficulty just off Douglas Prom in the Loch Prom area, when we arrived on scene we were met with an injured jet skier who members of the public had managed to help out to safety after his jet ski had broken down causing him and his ski to be thrown against the sea wall injuring him due to the swell…we requested Douglas Lifeboat to launch to recover the abandoned jet ski and also check an object in the water near to where the incident had happened.”

The all-weather lifeboat, Marine Engineer, under the command of coxswain Graeme Cushnie headed out off Douglas harbour and into the bay to assist in the safe recovery of both jet skies and personnel.

With a successful conclusion to the incident the lifeboat was recovered to the boathouse where it was washed down, re-fuelled and made ready again for service by 2.30pm.

Douglas RNLI all weather lifeboat was launched today (9 September) at 6.05am at the request of the Coastguard.

A 7m sailing yacht on passage to Stranraer with two people on board had run into problems off Langness. The crew had found it difficult to make way against the tide and weather around the peninsular and with their engine running low on fuel the crew radioed the Coastguard for assistance.

The all-weather lifeboat, Marine Engineer, under the command of coxswain Edd Christian headed south out off Douglas on a calm sea and with increasing light quickly found the casualty vessel.

Having first ensured that the two people on board were not in need of any immediate assistance themselves the yacht was taken under tow back to Douglas and a berth at the Visitors’ Pontoon on the Battery Pier,

With the sailing yacht safely berthed the lifeboat was recovered to the boathouse where it was washed down, re-fuelled and made ready again for service by 7.35am.