Lottery Winners Rescued by RNLI
Sailor Ben Harris, aged 33, from Dorchester is running the marathon to raise funds for the RNLI. His decision follows an incident when he was giving lottery millionaires Edd & Michelle Edwards a lesson on their new boat, which broke down in Weymouth Bay.
After the lifeboat crew came out to rescue them, Ben felt there was a debt to be repaid, and this was his way of discharging it. He was very appreciative of the fact that all RNLI crew members around the UK are volunteers, whose function is to rescue sailors, frequently at risk to their own lives.
Commercial Yacht Master and RYA Instructor Ben, was on board their boat “Alice”, about half a mile from the entrance to the harbour, when the crankshaft apparently broke.
Ben was quoted as saying the engine sounded unhealthy, so the vessel was stopped, and a check of the engine revealed the crankshaft wasn’t turning. After this discovery, they dropped anchor and called for help.
The RNLI were close by on a routine training exercise on the morning of the incident, and were able to deploy their inshore lifeboat to assist the “Alice”.
Weymouth RNLI Coxswain Andy Sargent is delighted with the amazing way in which Ben chose to repay his debt, and wishes him the very best of luck.
As a “seaside girl” myself I have never failed to marvel at the dedication of these brave volunteers in putting their own lives at risk. If you would like to support Ben’s fund-raising for a fantastic group of people, visit Ben’s Page at JustGiving.
Edd and Michelle Edwards from Yeovil, scooped £1.9m following a 2008 lottery win.
Source: Dorset Echo 9th February 2010
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