Vandals slash holes in lifeboat
MINDLESS yobs repeatedly slashed a training boat used by life-saving volunteers in an act of vandalism which outraged the community.
Crews at Southport Lifeboat were shocked to find several tears in their ILB training boat when they got it ready for a weekly training session.
Thed inflatable D-Class lifeboat, which was replaced in 2016 by the new ILB “Christopher Taylor”, had been stored on a trailer at West Lancashire Sailing Club’s dinghy park at the Marine lake.
The boat had helped save lives for almost 30 years through use by the RNLI and Southport Lifeboat but the damage caused meant that repairing it would not be financially viable.
After it was retired from service, the boat was repurposed as an essential piece of training equipment used for capsize training, which is a fundamental and potentially life-saving part of boat crew knowledge.
A spokesman for Southport Lifeboat said: “Sadly, this piece of equipment will now have to be disposed of and this will be solely down to the selfish actions of a mindless vandal.
“We please urge anyone with any information about this crime to report it to Merseyside Police. Using log number 20000518177.
“We would like to assure members of the public that our front-line equipment is fully functional and that this thoughtless act will not interfere with our ability to provide a first class rescue service along our coastline.”
Souhport Lifeboat is independent from the RNLI and HM Coastguard operates as a charity without any official funding which means all equipment, and its new lifeboat station which is under construction, are only possible through donations and sales at its charity shop.
The news sparked outrage among Southport residents, with many taking to social media to express their disgust at what had happened and offer support.
In response to those messages, the charity is now fundraising for a replacement vessel. Donations can be made at southport-lifeboat.co.uk.