The Front Page. - Copy 151 ( Biker Toy Run, Christmas Eve Lifeboat call)
29 December 2010
You will all remember the appeal by Mayor Sue Jones just before Christmas for toys for the Childrens Ward at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. You will remember too that the Bikers from the 69 Motorcycle Club were doing the necessary and transporting all the toys to the kids. But what an awful day it turned out to be....weatherwise. Snow fell thick and fast, not a day for motorbiking.
However it didnt stop the guys from the 69 Motorcycle club who got on their power machines and delivered. Fortunately the weather wasnt too bad on the way there but they all had to return here to Dover in the mother of all blizzards. Not very pleasant. Yours truly knows a thing or two about motorised two wheel travel and you wouldnt catch me on a motorcycle in weather like that...nosirreee bob...so a huge hats off to the guys for getting this special job done in terrible conditions. (For the original item on the day in question see Copy 148 in All Recent Features menu left.)
The picture shows them outside Kent and Canterbury Hospital as the snow begins to fall. Also there braving the weather in fine style is the hands-on Mayor of Dover Cllr Sue Jones and the Mayoress of Dover Cllr Ronnie Philpott. Well done all. PaulB.
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The volunteer crew of the Dover Lifeboat were requested to launch by Coastguards at Dover Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre on Friday (24th). A cargo ship transiting the North East shipping lane had reported smoke on board and injured crewmembers.
Dover Lifeboat ‘City of London II’ with seven crew on board left the harbour at approximately 1715hrs and proceeded at best speed to the stricken ship some 18 miles from Dover. Ramsgate Lifeboat was also requested as was a RAF Search and Rescue helicopter from Wattisham.
The RAF helicopter was first to arrive and removed three casualties from the ship before taking them to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital at Margate.
Conditions in the channel were described as rough and very cold. The ship was a 92m long general cargo vessel registered in Turkey and bound for a port in the Humber estuary.
Deputy Coxswain Lee Riddell who commanded Dover Lifeboat during the incident said: “On arrival we found that the ship was anchored but without any power or lights. The RAF helicopter had already airlifted the casualties and so we stood by the vessel in case the situation deteriorated. Once the Emergency Towing Vessel ‘Anglian Monarch’ arrived both lifeboats were released by Dover Coastguard.”
Update as reported by the BBC:A seaman rescued from a fire on board a ship off the Kent coast on Christmas Eve has died in hospital.The man was one of three crew members flown by RAF helicopter to Margate after inhaling smoke from the fire on board Turkish cargo vessel Eren Turgut.The two other crewmen are in a critical condition and have been moved to other hospitals from the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Margate.
Many thanks to Martin Collins and the Dover Lifeboat Team.
Toy Run:
update...You will all remember the appeal by Mayor Sue Jones just before Christmas for toys for the Childrens Ward at Kent and Canterbury Hospital. You will remember too that the Bikers from the 69 Motorcycle Club were doing the necessary and transporting all the toys to the kids. But what an awful day it turned out to be....weatherwise. Snow fell thick and fast, not a day for motorbiking.
However it didnt stop the guys from the 69 Motorcycle club who got on their power machines and delivered. Fortunately the weather wasnt too bad on the way there but they all had to return here to Dover in the mother of all blizzards. Not very pleasant. Yours truly knows a thing or two about motorised two wheel travel and you wouldnt catch me on a motorcycle in weather like that...nosirreee bob...so a huge hats off to the guys for getting this special job done in terrible conditions. (For the original item on the day in question see Copy 148 in All Recent Features menu left.)
The picture shows them outside Kent and Canterbury Hospital as the snow begins to fall. Also there braving the weather in fine style is the hands-on Mayor of Dover Cllr Sue Jones and the Mayoress of Dover Cllr Ronnie Philpott. Well done all. PaulB.
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Christmas Eve call out for Dover Lifeboat
Update Below...The volunteer crew of the Dover Lifeboat were requested to launch by Coastguards at Dover Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre on Friday (24th). A cargo ship transiting the North East shipping lane had reported smoke on board and injured crewmembers.
Dover Lifeboat ‘City of London II’ with seven crew on board left the harbour at approximately 1715hrs and proceeded at best speed to the stricken ship some 18 miles from Dover. Ramsgate Lifeboat was also requested as was a RAF Search and Rescue helicopter from Wattisham.
The RAF helicopter was first to arrive and removed three casualties from the ship before taking them to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital at Margate.
Conditions in the channel were described as rough and very cold. The ship was a 92m long general cargo vessel registered in Turkey and bound for a port in the Humber estuary.
Deputy Coxswain Lee Riddell who commanded Dover Lifeboat during the incident said: “On arrival we found that the ship was anchored but without any power or lights. The RAF helicopter had already airlifted the casualties and so we stood by the vessel in case the situation deteriorated. Once the Emergency Towing Vessel ‘Anglian Monarch’ arrived both lifeboats were released by Dover Coastguard.”
Death of aforementioned Seaman.
Update as reported by the BBC:A seaman rescued from a fire on board a ship off the Kent coast on Christmas Eve has died in hospital.The man was one of three crew members flown by RAF helicopter to Margate after inhaling smoke from the fire on board Turkish cargo vessel Eren Turgut.The two other crewmen are in a critical condition and have been moved to other hospitals from the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Margate.
Many thanks to Martin Collins and the Dover Lifeboat Team.