When three people found themselves clinging to the bow of a sinking sailboat in the Dee Estuary, their hopes lay in the skill of a lifeboat crew – and no small amount of luck

On 22 February around midday, Flint’s Lifeboat Operations Manager Alan Forrester happened to look out of the station window when he saw a small sailing boat in the distance. ‘I thought to myself “hmm, I wouldn’t be out on that tiny thing in today’s choppy weather” and got the binoculars out for a better look,’ says Alan. ‘Onboard I saw three figures, frantically bailing out. That’s when I hit the button to start the rescue.’

Moments later, a single mayday call from the sailors came through on the radio: ‘We’re sinking off Flint Lifeboat Station!’ But Flint’s D class lifeboat volunteers had already sprung into action. They were preparing to launch from the station, which is on the shores of the River Dee – often made unpredictable by hundreds of submerged sandbanks. That afternoon, the water was high enough to allow the lifeboat crew to launch directly from their slipway, without having to travel by road to a more accessible launch point. This – combined with the fact that some volunteers were already nearby preparing for a day out on their kayaks – shaved vital minutes off the rescue time.

Aboard the D class lifeboat were Helmsman Nathan Parry with Crew Members Ben Quirk and Rachel McCarthy. Within minutes, they had pulled alongside the sinking boat. ‘There was a young woman, shaking more violently than anyone I’d seen before, and a young man who was clearly in shock,’ explains Rachel. ‘They were only wearing jeans and tops under their lifejackets and the skipper’s waders had filled with water, so they were utterly frozen. Every second counted – we had to get them all onto the lifeboat straight away and make a second trip back to move their vessel to a safe place.’

The volunteers whisked the shaken trio back to the lifeboat station. There, an ambulance was waiting to take the two casualties to hospital, while shore crew gave the skipper a hot drink and an RNLI thermal suit. The sailors all made a full recovery.

‘Three people got very lucky that day – we were all at the station. Rachel already knew what the tide was like because she’d checked it for her family kayak trip,’ says Nathan. ‘And the high water meant we could launch as soon as Alan saw the boat get into trouble. Just a few minutes more and the outcome could have been grave.’

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RACHEL MCCARTHY
LIFEBOAT CREW
‘Just after my 18th birthday, I saw a poster advertising for volunteer lifeboat crew and now, 8 years later, I’ve roped my dad and sister (Billy and Carly, right) in and am working towards becoming a lifeboat helm. It will be a big responsibility – the helm is the one who positions crew on the boat, plans training and much more – but there are lots of exams and assessments on the way. It’s not something that happens overnight.’

BILLY DEWSBURY
MECHANIC AND SHORE CREW (DRIVER)
‘Rachel persuaded me to get involved at Flint Lifeboat Station by helping with towing and launching. The Land Rover and boat together are about 3 or 4 tonnes, and slipways can be muddy and slippery. I also do a lot of routine maintenance on the boat and vehicle. Just like your car, lifeboats need regular battery, pressure and fluid checks to keep them in good shape for their very challenging job.’

CARLY MCCARTHY
SHORE CREW
‘My role as shore crew involves supporting the boat’s launch and recovery, things like making sure the first aid kit and blankets are ready for casualties. I intend to join the lifeboat crew when I’ve recovered from a knee injury. We all worry about each other but, in an emergency, you have tunnel vision for the job you’re doing so you don’t get a chance to over-think things.’