The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) came to the rescue of a dad and his two sons after they had to swim to safety when their boat engine caught fire.

The family had been enjoying a fishing trip off the Dorset coast when the motor of their RIB stalled then caught fire. Quick-thinking dad Joe helped 11-year-old Sonny and eight-year-old Rudy into the water before swimming back to shore, where volunteer crews from Poole RNLI Lifeboat Station came to their aid.

Image: RNLI

Joe said: “The fire took hold pretty quickly, and with fuel tanks on board I did not know what was going to explode, so there was no other option than to bail out. Luckily, we all had our buoyancy aids on and it was low tide, so we did not have to swim too far before we reached the shore and could call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Within five minutes the boat was fully ablaze. We were very lucky with where it happened – if we were back where we were fishing it would have been a different story.”

The trio were brought on board the lifeboat from the muddy shore and, apart from being cold and wet, all three were safe and well.

Joe said: “I can’t praise the RNLI enough for how quickly they got out to us and the treatment we received. The boys were very cold and shaky and we got taken back to the station for hot showers, a change of clothes and cups of tea.”

Volunteer crew member Dave Bursey carried Sonny and Rudy to the lifeboat. Dave said: “We were very pleased when we arrived on scene to see that all three casualties had made it to shore safely, and nobody had been injured in the fire. Fortunately, they were all wearing buoyancy aids and were not too far from the shore, and the dad did the right thing in carrying a means for calling for help in a waterproof pouch, then dialling 999 and asking for the Coastguard as soon as it was safe to do so.”

Poole RNLI’s second lifeboat stood by as the stricken vessel burnt down to the water line and sank, and a Poole Harbour Commissioners vessel ensured there was no pollution to the harbour.

The RNLI’s key safety advice for anyone enjoying the coast by boat is: 

  • Always wear an appropriate lifejacket.
  • Always carry a means of calling and signalling for help.
  • Ensure there is an emergency action plan in place and everybody has an onboard briefing (in particular on the location and use of the safety equipment, including the spare kill cord for powerboats).
  • Get the right level of training for your craft.
  • Always check the weather and tide times.
  • Make sure someone ashore knows where you are going and who to call if you don’t return on time.
  • Always drive your boat at a speed that is appropriate to the weather conditions and to the environment you are operating in.

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