Lost speedboat highlights need for preparation
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Personal Watercraft
Article Date: 2007-08-31
View Count: 806
The man became lost in poor visibility, alone in an 18 foot speedboat without charts, a compass or emergency flares, and with low battery power on his VHF radio The man had set off from Pwllheli to Abersoch at about 9.50am, but became lost and was eventually located by Holyhead Coastguard 21 miles south-east of Pwllheli off Duffryn Beach. The coastguard struggled to contact the man because he had little power for his radio and only patchy contact could be made by mobile phone. RNLI Lifeboats from Criccieth, Pwllheli and Abersoch had to be despatched to conduct a sea search of Tremadoc Bay, while coastguard rescue teams from Aberdaron, Abersoch, Criccieth and Harlech began a 40 mile coastal search. Barry Priddis, Holyhead Coastguard watch manager said: "This incident highlights the need for boat users to ensure they are well prepared before going to sea. "Ensure your vessel is suitably equipped including a VHF radio with fully charged batteries, maritime charts for the area, a compass and emergency alerting flares in case you get into difficulty."
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