Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat (PLIRB) is urgently calling for help to replace their 30-year-old launch vehicle which is suffering from mechanical failures that are proving difficult and very expensive to repair.
An appeal was launched on 18 July to raise funds for the cost of a second-hand unit, estimated to cost around £30,000.
A spokesperson for the charity said, “We are facing a real risk of not having a reliable and safe vehicle to launch our lifeboat on service.
“With the combined factors of increases to our taskings, the wider area we are covering and the reduced service from flanking RNLI stations, we simply cannot afford to not be able to respond. We are the only lifeboat asset in this area that is continually and consistently on service.”
It has been a busy year so far for the PLIRB with 27 shouts even before the start of the main summer holiday season, compared to the 30 total in the whole of 2025. As an independent rescue boat not linked to the RNLI and with no public funding, the organisation relies on the generosity of local support and donations.
How to donate
* Scan the QR code below
* Visit our website www.plirb.org and click on the ‘donate’ button
* Email plirbrescue@gmail.com for other ways to donate
Donations can be made here.
Image Credits: Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat .