2 October: Hartlepool When a scrap metal lorry rolled forward and was left precariously hanging metres above the waters of Irvine's Quay, Hartlepool Harbour Police asked the RNLI to stand by during the rescue of the driver. A paramedic was transferred to the inshore lifeboat as a precaution, but the Fire Brigade successfully freed the man using a hydraulic platform. It was decided to recover the vehicle in daylight the next morning. Meanwhile the RNLI crew placed a boom in the water under the stranded lorry to protect against any fuel leakage into the dock.