Rob Burrows 30 year old crew member of Sharpness Lifeboat Station, completed a spectacular feat as part of the open day at Sharpness Lifeboat Station.

Rob swam the River Severn from Beachley Lifeboat Station, to Sharpness Lifeboat Station, a distance of some 9 miles, in a  treacherous stretch of water. Rob completed the swim in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

At that start of the day, the attempt was in serious doubt due to the wind direction (NNE) which resulted in a wind over tide situation, causing very disturbed sea conditions. Rob was keen to attempt the swim. Accompanied by two Lifeboats, one carrying a Paramedic with full oxygen and First Aid equipment, Rob set off from Beachley slipway at 1030.

The first 2 miles went quite well with Rob maintaining a good speed, he then encountered severe conditions caused by the wind blowing against the Spring tide. Large seas, spray and very turbulent water did not stop Rob in his attempt. He finally arrived off Sharpness Lifeboat Station slipway at 1230, this was his most difficult part of the swim and Rob was quite visibly struggling as he attempted to make the Sharpness Keystone Slipway with the surging tide pushing him offshore and past the slipway.

With encouragement of the lifeboat crews and the crowd on the quay wall, Rob struggled on finally making the slipway at 1240. A monumental feat accomplished.

If you would like to congratulate Rob by donating please click here

The award ceremony was held at Sharpness Lifeboat Station open day, yeaterday 15th August.  The following awards were presented. 

• The award of ‘Bristol Blue’ paper weights to Keith Hadly, Alan Palmer and Graham Tudor, for 25 years service.
• Bouquet of flowers each for the wives of the above
• Commendation awards to Any Mills, Nick Phillips, Martin Everett and Kevin Green
• Bouquet of flowers to wives of the above
• Award of Merit to Megs Green

Commemorative plaque’s to:

• HM Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Swansea
• HM Coastguard Sharpness CRT (Accepted by Pete Western SO)
• ‘A’ Flight 22sqn Royal Air Force Chivenor
• Gloucester Fire & Rescue Service  (Accepted by Tim Lanfear)
• Gloucestershire Police (Accepted by Ch Insp Derek Jones Operations)
• Great Western Ambulance Service (Accepted by  Kevin Dickens)
• SARA Executive (accepted by Alan Stanley)

On Sunday 15th August 2010, Sharpness will be hosting their annual open day, this year celebrating 25 years of service on the River Severn.  The station will be open from 10am till 4pm so there is plenty of time to call in.

• Lifeboat station tours
• Lifeboat demonstrations
• Crew sponsored swim, Beachley Station to Sharpness Station (9.5 miles) – Sponsor Rob here!
• BBQ
• Cake stall
• Boat Jumble
• Dinghy sailing
• Award ceremony 14:00hrs
• Other Emergency Services (Ambulance, Police)
• Meet author Chris Witts who will be selling signed copies of his new book ‘The Severn Bridge Disaster’

During the day, Rob an accomplished swimmer and a fully trained lifeboat crew member will be attempting to complete a sponsored swim from Beachley Station to Sharpness Station. This over a 9 mile swim in some torturous water. If you would like to sponsor Rob, please click here. 

Please remember that the Severn represents some of the most dangerous water around the UK coast and that swimming should never be undertaken in its fully tidal waters. Rob will have two lifeboats accompanying him all of the time he is in the water.

Bring your family along for an enjoyable day by the water, see your local lifeboats and meet the crew, enjoy the BBQ and home made cakes.

Call in and support your local lifeboats!

The Keystone Slipway was formally opened on Friday October 3rd at SARA’s Sharpness Station by R.W.Bro.Benjamin Addy, the Assistant Grand Master of Mark Master Masons, whose £85,000 donation has funded the project.

The donation by the Mark Masons is in recognition of the efforts of SARA in the July 2007 floods in Gloucestershire.

In a press release issued before the event, the Provincial Grand Master R.W.Bro.John Eley said “I am delighted that the Assistant Grand Master will attend to unveil a commemorative stone, carved by one of our own members David Yeates, and that SARA have invited a wide range of Civic Dignitaries from the area they serve to attend. SARA depends on charitable support and we are proud to be associated with them in improving their response to rescues on the Severn”.

SARA Executive Chairman Alan Stanley said “without the donation from the Mark Master Masons it is doubtful how SARA could have continued their rescue facility at Sharpness due to the condition of the 1903 crane which was their only means of launching the lifeboat.   Now with a dedicated slipway, this will not be a problem in the future.”

Sharpness Station Chairman Geoff Dawe said “Over the last 21 years the SARA Sharpness Lifeboats have been deployed in saving numerous lives and will continue to do so with the benefit of the new Keystone Slipway thanks to the generosity of the Mark Masons”.

As with all such life-saving organisations, the ceremony included a Dedication Prayer and Hymn, and was followed by a demonstration launch from the new boathouse and slipway.

See this story elsewhere: http://www.gandhmark.org/PublicPages/SARA.aspx

On Tuesday 27th March, crew members from SARA Sharpness & Wyre Forest Stations visited Widden Primary School in Gloucester as part of Year 2’s project on Lifeboats. The children will shortly undertake a Sponsored Spell for SARA and have selected appropriate words as part of their ‘test’. They saw pictures of the other SARA lifeboats and had a close look at SARA 2 which is based at Sharpness.

Geoff Dawe (coxswain) explained the necessity for wearing drysuit/lifejacket/helmet and some of the equipment carried on the lifeboat. The children presented the crew with pictures they had drawn especially for the occasion.