Reckless boaters who endanger their own or other lives at sea should be 'named and shamed'.
Reckless boaters who endanger their own or other lives at sea should be ‘named and shamed’. The call came after two men were rescued off Guernsey one night last week after their RIB narrowly avoided being run down by a fast ferry.
The RIB had no lights or safety equipment and, although the occupants managed to contact St Peter Port Radio by intermittent use of a mobile phone, they were only spotted and rescued after setting fire to an oily cloth. Captain Peter Gill, St Peter Port’s harbourmaster and lifeboat operations manager, said he would not rule out ‘naming and shaming’ such irresponsible boaters in future.
However charging people for the cost of rescue, even those who go to sea ill-prepared, is not an option. “The RNLI is a charitable organisation which relies entirely on voluntary support to deliver a service”, he said, “That’s the traditional position and I wouldn’t want to see it change”.
