Ganz vergessen: es ist ja #SchiffsSamstag!
(I completely forgot, today is #shipsaturday! 😊)

#analogphotography #Analogfotografie #FromTheArchives

#AgfaVista200 #35mm #expiredfilm #lifeboat #RettungsBoot #shipphotography #SchiffsFotografie #maritime #fotografie #photography #msalkor #alkor #geomar

Dramatic video shows surfer rescued off Porthcawl as RNLI warn of rip tide dangers

The incident happened on Wednesday 10 September when 30‑year‑old Ben Fraser, who has surfed for 15 years, was caught in a strong lateral current at Rest Bay. He drifted more than half a mile south towards Hutchwns Point before signalling for help to a dog walker on the coast path.

Ben said:

“I’ve only surfed a handful of times at Rest Bay so I’m not very familiar with the strength of the rips, especially at different states of the tide and in choppy swell. When I realised I was being pulled quite far out, I still thought I might be able to paddle myself out of the rip current.”

He added:

“I attempted to get onto the rocks at the cliffs, but soon realised it was too dangerous and I was better off staying away from the cliffs with my surfboard. I noticed a dog walker on the coast path and thought I should probably take this opportunity to signal for help.”

Lifeboat launch

The dog walker dialled 999 for the Coastguard, and Porthcawl RNLI launched the Atlantic 85 lifeboat Rose of the Shires within minutes. Despite rough seas and winds gusting to force 7/8, the crew pulled Ben safely on board.

Ben recalled:

“Although I felt pretty calm, I knew I couldn’t get back to the beach myself and that the light was fading fast, which might have made it harder for people to spot me or for the lifeboat to find me.”

“I want to say a huge thank you to the lady that saw me wave and called 999 for the Coastguard, her quick thinking meant the lifeboat reached me before it was dark. Thank you also to the volunteer lifeboat crew. Thankfully in my years of surfing and swimming I’ve never needed to call on them until that day. And although I was pretty apologetic once the crew pulled me into the lifeboat, they were really warm and kind – just checking that I was OK.”

RNLI warning

RNLI Helm Gareth Collins said the rescue showed how quickly conditions can change:

“The strong lateral current at Rest Bay on the incoming tide is very powerful and had caused Ben to drift over half a mile from the main bay. Ben did the right thing by not attempting again to get onto the rocks when he realised the danger. Instead he stayed calm and remained with his board. This allowed him to assess the situation and signal for help when he spotted the dog walker.”

He added:

“We rescue people without judgement and this rescue proves that even those with experience in the water might need our help one day.”

Safety advice

The RNLI is urging people to take extra care as lifeguard patrols have now ended on most beaches across Wales and the UK.

Advice includes:

• Never swim against a rip current — swim parallel to the shore until free.
• Always wear a leash so you don’t become separated from your board.
• Check tide times and weather before entering the water.
• Never go alone, and always read local safety signage.
• In a coastal emergency dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

#HMCoastguard #HutchwnsPoint #Lifeboat #lifeguard #Porthcawl #PorthcawlRNLI #rescue #RestBay #ripCurrent #RNLI #surfer #Surfing #tideTimes

Today's Flickr photo with the most hits was taken in Sault Sainte Marie, aboard the Valley Camp (a Great Lakes freighter - now a museum ship). It shows a lifeboat retrieved from the lost Edmund Fitzgerald (1975).

#GreatLakes #freighter #EdmundFitzgerald #sinking #LifeBoat

I drew this cartoon in like 2007. It was relevant to nothing, and most people found it too dark.

#comics #cartoons #drawing #lifeboat #bombing #fisherman

‘It’s a project’ – Crazy Chris offers vintage lifeboat free to good home

Well – courtesy of Skerries’ most famous resident, ‘Crazy Chris’ Harris – that unique opportunity has just presented itself.

And the cost? Nothing at all.

Crazy Chris, who took on the #lifeboat in the hope of turning her into a truly one-of-a-kind #B&B on one of #Shetland’s most remote #islands, hopes to pass her on to the right person as a personal project.

https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2025/10/23/project-crazy-chris-offers-vintage/?utm_source=Fediverse

#Scotland #Skerries #vintage #DIY