An engine from an RNLI inshore rescued boat has been stolen in the South Hams
RNLI lifeguards Dave Tunbridge and Alistair Williams discovered that the engine had been stolen yesterday, Friday 1st June as they prepared for their daily beach patrols.
The storage unit at Bigbury-on-Sea had been broken into overnight after being locked by lifeguards shortly after they’d finished their daily beach patrol at 6pm on Thursday 31st June.
Lifeguard Supervisor for the South Hams Rebecca Fox says: ‘We take great pride in our work and the equipment we use to keep beachgoers around the coast safe. It’s extremely disappointing that our storage unit was broken into overnight. Having viewed CCTV we think it may have happened at just before 11pm and we’d ask anyone with any information to contact Devon and Cornwall Police on 101.’
The charity’s lifeguards across the south west dealt with 7,982 incidents, assisting 10,080 people in 2017.
Rebecca added: ‘Our inshore rescue boats allow our lifeguards to respond quickly to rescue people in trouble at sea and it’s a real shame that the engine to this vital piece of kit has been taken.
‘Thankfully we’ve been able to keep our inshore rescue boat on service and our patrols have not been affected. We’d like to thank the local community for all of their support.’
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