Aibu to think that RNLI shouldn't launch.....

[AJPTaylor]

I live in East Sussex. Yesterday our local lifeboat launched in the middle of the worst storm in years for a feckin idiot surfer who chose to throw himself into the sea in search of a thrill.
You have probably seen the footage of the lifeboat being thrown on it's side at launch.
Or should there be a feckin idiot surcharge?

Ah yes, idiots at Seven Sisters make my legs ache. Esp the idiots that were teaching their young dog recall at Beachy Head. I pointed out that at the top of the highest cliff in England possibly wasn't the ideal spot for this. They looked at me as though I was deranged.

The problem if you're going to make moral judgements about who to rescue, you're going to make mistakes.

"There's someone in the sea. I can see their surf board..."
"Own fault, shouldn't have been surfing."

Turns out actually they'd fallen in and the "surf board" is a submerged rock nearby. Do you want to be the one who made that judgement call?

However I think community service would be an excellent way to deal with them-so they have to do a certain number of hours helping or raising money for the lifeboats.

The problem if you're going to make moral judgements about who to rescue, you're going to make mistakes.

But as a society we already make those moral judgements. A go-go, really. So there's no "if" about it.

I live in Cornwall, both NDN and dd are with the RNLI although dd is a lifeguard both say they would rather rescue someone or what's the alternative.....
This RNLI site has lots of info

rnli.org/magazine

I think they are all amazing! I'm glad that they always turn out - even for eejits.

I think we should eb doing our best to teach our children not to take stupid risks, but accept that there will always be someone who will, and that daft or not, they are someone's child/ spouse/ father and that a life is a life.

They might be idiots but for all we know they might be kind, loving idiots who are treasured by their families, and whose friends and neighbours think the world them.

Stupidity doesn't always mean "worthless human being".

Stupidity doesn't always mean "worthless human being".

And vice versa. Of course.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-51443699?SThisFB

A different idiot man did die. Does that make those of you who think the RNLI shouldn't have gone out feel better?

They are brilliant and of my chosen charities for 2020.

Of course YABU OP

We've had our share of idiots here in the past few years, but NDN says better to rescue than to recover a body and I agree with him

I saw this incident and I think you'll find it was a man that committed suicide of that they were trying to save the life of.

The other one was further along inRye and the Hastings RNLI dealt with that.

I am not sure about the surfing community but certainly in sailing clubs (even inland ones) you will almost always find RNLI collection boxes because experienced water users know that one day they may be the ones needing to call for help.

Likewise many horse riders collect for air ambulance charities because we're aware that one day it might be us needing them, even when we're being sensible.

Speaking of morons ....

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-51444877/storm-ciara-risking-their-lives-for-a-wave-selfie

Storm Ciara: 'Risking their lives' for a wave selfie

People were spotted "risking their lives" to take selfies on cliffs near Swansea.

Storm Ciara battered Wales over the weekend with strong winds and flooding.

Mumbles Coastguard cliff rescue team tweeted: "Whilst on patrol this afternoon we saw a few people risking their lives for a photo.

"This may seem like fun, but it just isn’t a good idea!

"It’s why we have highly trained Volunteer Coastguard Teams and Lifeboat Crew on call 24/7 ready to risk their lives to come and get you."

More morons - mountain rescue have been out saving four people climbing Ben Nevis in this weather.

A local fb page to me has video posted by a man showing his friend waist deep crossing a swollen stream, the water pushing him as he tries to cross it, with a caption “legend” . These are middle aged keen walkers. Most of the comments are calling them stupid and about risking needing emergency workers who were stretched enough with the local flooding. Really made me, and most of the posters angry.

I have no sympathy for anyone doing something as stupid as that and look at it as natural selection.

The Penlee lifeboat disaster has been mentioned a couple of times. I went to Mousehole a couple of years ago and, while I obviously appreciated the bravery of the crews, the memorial garden made it seem more real. They were husbands, fathers, sons who lost their lives trying to save others.

My first thought yesterday when I saw that crazy footage was how remarkable those people are. I live next to an RNLI lifeboat station and I am proud to support those guys, whole-heartedly. I was watching that footage, as I said, and I thought, "What an asshole," about the surfer. Total straw for brains.
BUT... it's what those rescuers do. They rescue, even the idiot thrill-seeker with straw for brains.
I dog walk by the RNLI station all the time and their efforts never cease to impress the hell out of me.

The rnli have raised £22k just in the 24hrs or so since sharing the video of that rescue- via Facebook fundraiser, l hope it also shows people who wouldn't really think about the RNLI the fantastic and brave job they do.

Who are you to judge, OP? from the tone of what you say, you are completely intolerant of other people's faults.

Lol. Not intolerant to others faults. I do feel that people who decide to surf for a thrill in the worst conditions for years should have some sort of consequence.
I am always humbled by the efforts of RNLI. Can't imagine how pleased I would be to see them. On Saving Lives at Sea they are always "Well we don't mind missing our own wedding/work/ party/ funeral to rescue someone off to France on a lilo". Good on them.

Tbf a significant proportion of calls will be to people having done something stupid, not paying attention to tides, using inflatables, not respecting the sea etc. Thankfully the RNLI don't decide before launch who is worthy or not.

Yes he is an idiot
Yes he should be rescued
If they had to stop.and do an idiot assessment before every call out, the rescue services would be very quiet indeed
Most accidents are due to negligence but we probably wouldnt want that held against us if we have one

YANBU!!!

A 'saving lives at sea' episode that always gives me the chills is the little girl who fell and got stuck in between rocks well over her head height, the tide which submerges these rocks was coming in, the only way to free her was someone else going in under them, and the only person who could fit was the youngest RNLI crew, who was 17 I think, brave, brave people always putting themselves into the danger that others are trying to get out of.

TitianaTitsling I remember that episode. I think it was also the young guy's first proper call out or something. Her leg was trapped I think. Terrifying knowing there were no other options, I mean sometimes they can approach from a different direction or something but not in that case. He did so well.

2 episodes particularly stuck with me. One was 3 girls crossing a causeway and they were caught out. Seconds from being swept away, a girl of about 20 And her little sisters
The other was 2 old chaps who overturned their boat fishing. They reckoned they had 10 mins left when they saw the flash of orange on it's way. Someone on the shore had spotted them.