RNLI Fight Goes On
Wednesday 10.00am SUPPORTERS of a campaign to bring the RNLI Land Rover back to Mablethorpe gathered in protest last week as Andy Clift, the Divisional Inspector, North, visited the station to speak to the crew.
A launch pad for the protest was a Facebook page, originally set up to provide support but which has grown to include more than 900 people.
Gina Barraclough who set up the page, expressed her frustration: "I think we went round in circles. I know it's not his decision but they just weren't listening. They were very polite but I don't think we got anywhere. We're going to keep going," she said.
A petition circulated to bring the Land Rover back has so far amassed 1,029 signatures.
In a letter to Mr Clift, Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteer and crew member Neil Herbert states: "I feel the decision has been 'pushed' on to the station by Divisional Base and the way in which the whole episode was carried out was terrible."
Mr Clift said: "There seems to be some misunderstanding about our charity's role. The RNLI trains and equips its lifeboat volunteers to provide a first-class sea search and rescue service and we must focus on our area of expertise.
"The Land Rover needs a major overhaul and will then be used as part of the RNLI's fleet of relief launch vehicles.
"I have apologised to Bill Tuplin and the crew that they were not given any warning about the change of launch and recovery vehicle. There was a breakdown in communications and I am very sorry about it."
A separate incident has also been mentioned on the Facebook page. Dawn Howarth posted she witnessed a man being administered CPR last Friday, before being rushed to hospital. But emergency services had to wait for 30 minutes for a quad bike to bring a stretcher so he could be taken up the beach to the ambulance. This was corroborated by Keith Nelson, who posted on the site: "I was there with the fire brigade. It's a disgrace that they expect a quad bike to bring a stretcher back from the seas edge quickly." The RNLI said they were unaware of the incident on Friday.
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Weather for Sleaford
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
