30/06/2009 21:05 *LAUNCH*
June 30th, 2009 Posted in Service Calls 2009 | No Comments »Date - Tuesday, June 30th 2009
Launch Time - 21:05
Incident - Members of Blyth Lifeboat crew who were waiting at station to recover the lifeboat from the water following a regular training exercise were informed by 2 members of the public that they had just witnessed a car entering the water on the opposite side of the river from Blyth lifeboat station.
The lifeboat crew informed humber coastguard of the reported incident and proceeded immediatly to the scene just up-river from Blyth lifeboat station. Upon arrival the crew found the vehicle almost completly submerged with only the rear window showing above the waterline.
One of the lifeboat crew entered the water to confirm if any persons were trapped whilst other crew members sought information from on-lookers and the vehicles driver, who it was discovered had been in the vehicle at the time it entered the water. Once it was apparant that the vehicle was no longer occupied the lifeboat crew awaited the arrival of Police and Coatguard Mobile units.
Recovery of the vehicle was arranged by the police and port of blyth to avoid any hazard to navigation. The lifeboat then returned to station and was again made ready for service at 22:00.

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A BBC news report of this incident can be found here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/8128831.stm
A report by the Newcastle Journal newspaper can be found here
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2009/07/03/harry-potter-crashes-car-into-river-blyth-at-cambois-61634-24062638/



