At 7:52 am on Tuesday 13th July 2021, Guernsey Coastguard was alerted to 2 swimmers struggling in the tide 100 metres east of Bordeaux Harbour. A Police Officer attended the scene and reported 2 swimmers clinging to a buoy waving to attract attention.

St Peter Port Inshore Lifeboat “Elizabeth and Margaret Milligan” was paged and launched on service at 8:10 am. Several vessels responded to a MAYDAY RELAY broadcast by Guernsey Coastguard.

Deputy Cox Danny Blake was nearby but knew that because of the traffic, there was no point in trying to get to the harbour in time as Second Cox Jason Norman would arrive at the lifeboat station before him. He saw the Police stood on the shore and asked what the problem was.  He borrowed a dinghy and rowed out to the swimmers who were both exhausted, clinging to the outermost buoy.  They held on to the stern of the dinghy and he brought them most of the way back to shore when a powered boat came to assist. 

The Inshore Lifeboat arrived at Bordeaux at 8:19 am and the casualties were transferred across from the motor cruiser before being landed ashore at Bordeaux Harbour where they were checked over by paramedics. The Inshore Lifeboat arrived back on station in St Peter Port at 8:30 am.