IT was a busy start to November for the Beaumaris lifeboat volunteers - with the three launches over the bonfire weekend – and helping to build the town’s beach bonfire.

The volunteer crew members of the Beaumaris Inshore Atlantic 85 Lifeboat Annette Mary Liddington had arranged to meet at 12.30pm, to prepare the bonfire for the annual Beaumaris fireworks celebrations, this year held on on Saturday, November 4.

However, at 8.45am, the crew were called out to launch the lifeboat at 8.53am, to reports of an unmanned dinghy afloat near Menai Bridge pier.

The Bangor Mobile Coastguard Rescue team had also been requested to attend. The lifeboat located the dinghy on the Bangor side of the Menai Strait, there was no-one on aboard and the boat showed no sign of recent occupation.

The craft was then towed to the slip, at Menai Bridge, and handed over to the crew of the Bangor Mobile Coastguard team.

A search was then undertaken by the lifeboat and the coastguards, to ensure no person was in the water. Nothing was located, and at 9.15 am the lifeboat was instructed to return to station.

The lifeboat was back at Beaumaris by 9.45am, being refuelled and prepared for her next service call by 10.15am. Whilst the lifeboat was out, those crew members left ashore, continued to prepare the bonfire.

At 12.07pm, the crew was called out again, and sent towards the training centre Indefatigable by the Britannia Bridge. The UK coastguard at Holyhead had a report of a 25ft motor cruiser in difficulties.

Having arrived at the vessel, the lifeboat arranged to tow the vessel to a place of safety. The lifeboat returned to her station at Beaumaris by 1.45pm, was refuelled and prepared for her next service.

On Sunday, November 5, the volunteers then received another page from the UK Coastguard centre at Holyhead, at 12.58pm, and launched at 1.10pm, to help a broken down speed boat near Plas Menai, on the Menai Strait.

The vessel was drifting in the Caernarfon direction, until the arrival of the lifeboat which checked the craft’s crew were safe, and towed the vessel to safety.

The lifeboat then returned to her station at Beaumaris, by 3.15pm, being refuelled and prepared for her next service call by 4.15 pm.