St Helier, Jersey - May 21, 2024

On May 21 at 9:28 p.m., the RNLI St Helier all-weather and inshore lifeboats were dispatched to assist a French sailing vessel that had struck rocks just south of the tanker berth. The vessel was carrying eight people, including four children and infants.

The lifeboat crews arrived on the scene 12 minutes after the initial alert to find the vessel lodged against the rocks. Some of the passengers had already been transferred to a liferaft, while others were on the rocks.

The inshore lifeboat and the daughter craft from the all-weather lifeboat quickly deployed crew members ashore to secure the casualties and transfer them to safety. The young children were promptly transported back to the harbor, while the remaining passengers were brought onto the lifeboats and met by the shore crew, Jersey Coastguard, and the Ambulance Service.

“This was a tricky rescue due to the number of casualties and the proximity to submerged hazards. Events unfolded really quickly and so it was down to the extensive training and great teamwork of our volunteer crews that the casualties were all able to be evacuated so quickly and without injury,” said Peter Lawrence, Duty Launch Authority.

All passengers from the sailing vessel were assessed at the lifeboat station, with two taken to the hospital for precautionary checks. The swift and coordinated response ensured the safety of all involved.