cyberpuppet
New Member
I am not sure how it works elsewhere in the world but in the UK the main rescue service for boats is the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) which is a charity and depends on volunteers to man the boats which will go out.
I have always been a big supporter of them even though I do not live near the sea - I was taught as a child some of the shore dangers like being cut of by the tide, and the incredible bravery of these volunteers.
Obviously going out on a boat can be dangerous and I believe it is up to the people going out to make sure they are as safe as possible - things can still go horribly wrong. Yet I have seen other people being unbelievably stupid. The 4 obviously drunk young men on holiday in a 14 ft boat with just an outboard on a distinctly choppy day - their hire boat was low in the water for a calm day and looked badly unstable in the chop as they went out. The day that the sea picked up and most if not all of the hobby/sports boats ran for harbour where we watched a man put a 7 or 8 year old girl into a rowing boat (big rowing boat) without a life jacket and head out into the conditions that were causing everyone else to come in.
I am sure everyone else has stories of unbelievable stupidity - thought you might like to share and raise a pint to the brave men and women who risk their 0wn lives to save not just the idiots but the sensible ones who sometimes have unforeseen problems.
I have always been a big supporter of them even though I do not live near the sea - I was taught as a child some of the shore dangers like being cut of by the tide, and the incredible bravery of these volunteers.
Obviously going out on a boat can be dangerous and I believe it is up to the people going out to make sure they are as safe as possible - things can still go horribly wrong. Yet I have seen other people being unbelievably stupid. The 4 obviously drunk young men on holiday in a 14 ft boat with just an outboard on a distinctly choppy day - their hire boat was low in the water for a calm day and looked badly unstable in the chop as they went out. The day that the sea picked up and most if not all of the hobby/sports boats ran for harbour where we watched a man put a 7 or 8 year old girl into a rowing boat (big rowing boat) without a life jacket and head out into the conditions that were causing everyone else to come in.
I am sure everyone else has stories of unbelievable stupidity - thought you might like to share and raise a pint to the brave men and women who risk their 0wn lives to save not just the idiots but the sensible ones who sometimes have unforeseen problems.