Dear All,
The Jersey Lifeboat Association was formed in 2018. Thanks to the support of the public and the enthusiasm and hard work of our members we have become the first Independent Station in decades to establish an all-weather Lifeboat station, and we are the proud owners of one of the newest and most advanced inshore Lifeboats in the world.
Unfortunately, we had an accident with our all-weather lifeboat, Sir Max, in November, which caused some damage. In darkness we hit rocks off Noirmont – something that should not have happened but did. We always set out to be a transparent and honest organisation and the day after the incident we, in conjunction with Ports of Jersey, requested an independent investigation into the accident. We have also commissioned our own internal investigation, which is far more wide-ranging.
With the Sir Max being in the UK undergoing repair, and inshore rescues being less prevalent at this time of year, it is prudent to concentrate our resources on undertaking a comprehensive audit of all our procedures and equipment, in conjunction with Ports of Jersey. When you grow as quickly as we have it is important to have a period of self-reflection and investigation. We have already identified some procedures that require change, and the feedback from the independent investigator so far has been very positive – especially regarding our training and equipment management systems, and the manner in which our exercises, qualifications, etc. are logged. We plan to learn from the accident and emerge stronger than before.
The investigations / audit should be completed early in the New Year and we expect to be back up and running, and saving lives, within weeks.
We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.
Thank you for your support.
Kind regards,
Ben Shenton
Chairman – Jersey Lifeboat Association