Latest ‘shouts’

13 March 12:15: Woman saved from drowning

A woman was saved from drowning by the station Coxswain and Mechanic after she jumped into the River Tyne at North Shields fish quay. The woman, believed to be in her late 30s and with mental health problems, was reported to have been with a carer when she suddenly jumped into the river at 12.15pm.

Fish quay workers immediately alerted staff at the nearby RNLI Lifeboat Station. and the two full-time crew members rushed the short distance to the woman's using the station’s boarding boat to save time. (The boarding boat is an inflatable lifeboat now used to transport crew to the all weather lifeboat on its mooring

The woman was quickly recovered from the river and taken to safety and a waiting ambulance at the Lifeboat Station. Everyone at the station is pleased that a tragedy was prevented.

03 March 17:50: All Weather Lifeboat launched to search for Man Overboard

The all weather lifeboat was launched to join a major search ongoing between Newbiggin and Whitley Bay, following a mayday from the skipper of the 20m fishing boat Sanlormarho II reporting that one of his crew was lost overboard. Lifeboats from Newbiggin, Blyth and Cullercoats were already on the scene and Tynemouth all weather boat was required to act as On Scene Coordinator. A rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer was also involved in the search. Conditions at sea were poor, with winds gusting up to Force 8 and wave hights of 5 metres.

Sadly, after five hours, Humber Coastguard was satisfied that all efforts to locate the missing man, believed to be 27 and from the Philippines, had been made and that there was no hope of finding him alive. The search was called off at 10pm.

Click here to see 2007’s shouts. The station carried out 68 services during the year.