The St Catherine’s lifeboat was involved in a joint operation with the RNLI Lifeguards from Greve de Lecq and the Fire and Rescue Service following reports of several young persons who had got into difficulty on the north coast.

The alarm was first raised with the RNLI Lifeguards at Greve de Lecq that there were some young people in difficulties in the caves near Crabbe. Jersey Coastguard decided to also launch both the St Catherine’s Lifeboat and the Fire and Rescue Service rescue boat. The Lifeguards were the first on scene and they evaluated the situation and stood by pending the arrival of the other services.
With a tricky swell running, the Lifeboat and Fire & Rescue service worked together to put a crew ashore to help with the extraction of the three young men who were pinned in the cave by the swell and backwash. The shore crew were able to assist the young men out of the cave over the rocks where they, together with the Lifeguard, were transferred into the Fire & Rescue Service boat and taken to Greve de Lecq.

Nigel Sweeny, Lifeboat Operations Manager for St Catherine’s RNLI commented:
“This operation was an excellent example of Jersey’s rescue services working together in tricky conditions to successfully recover three young men who had got into difficulties while coasteering on the north coast.  The RNLI would remind everyone that, while Jersey does have a spectacular coastline, it can quickly turn dangerous.

Anyone who is undertaking water-based activities in or around the coast away from lifeguarded beaches should follow the usual rules of letting someone know when and where they are going, carrying an effective means of communication in case they get into trouble, bearing in mind that mobile signals can be patchy off the north coast, and wearing suitable clothing. There are several companies which organise supervised coasteering activities around Jersey which allow people to enjoy this exciting activity in the safest possible manner.”

After completion of the rescue operation, the lifeboat returned to St Catherine’s lifeboat station where it was readied for the next service.