THE ABERDOVEY lifeboat was launched to rescue a speedboat in distress with eight people on board.

The RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew was called out to the stricken vessel which had run aground in the Aberdovey estuary, opposite the the Penhelig Arms Hotel, on Thursday, August 1.

The Lifeboat Operations Manager Dave Williams had received a call from a nearby yacht club, after one of the people aboard the speedboat had called for help.

The Aberdovey crew launched the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Hugh Miles, at 7pm, and made their way to the broken down craft.

The lifeboat crew found four adults and four children aboard. They were all safe and well.

The group had been enjoying time on the boat, until they suffered engine problems and were unable to return to shore.

The Aberdovey lifeboat then towed the speedboat to the beach at Church Bay, before returning to the station at 7:40pm. The crew then refuelled and washed the lifeboat ready for service.

Lifeboat Operations Manager Dave Williams said: "Before you go out to sea, it’s important that you plan your route and check the tide times and weather forecast.

"Make sure that you always carry a means of calling for help, so that if things go wrong, you can dial 999 and ask for the coastguard."

The crew had received three shouts in one day on Monday July, 29. The first came at 1:44pm to a motorboat with engine problems just west of the Aberdovey outer buoy.

The volunteer crew found five people on board, including children, all were safe and well.

A tow was established to bring the boat back safely to a mooring in Aberdovey Harbour.

At 5:40pm, with the same crew, Aberdovey was requested by Holyhead lifeboat to attend to a broken-down powerboat with four people on board just southeast of the lifeboat station.

After checking the boat passengers were safe, the RNLI crew then towed the powerboat back to the boat yard in the Leri before returning to station.

The final shout of the day was to reports an inflatable off Tywyn following a 999 call from a concerned member of the public at 7:20pm.

Aberdovey’s inshore lifeboat Hugh Miles arrived on the scene to find two people fishing from their kayaks.

Both were safe and it was concluded the call-out was a false alarm, but with good intent.