Car owner blocks in lifeboat then calls for help

Yesterday, the owner of a car and trailer who blocked in the RNLI Calshot lifeboat while they went out on the water, later called for help from the same lifeboat station.

The “inconsiderate” member of the public parked their car, with the trailer attached, in a yellow box in front the clearly marked shed housing RNLI Calshot’s Atlantic 85 Class lifeboat.

Calshot lifeboat station only has two lifeboats, the Atlantic 85 and a smaller D-Class inshore lifeboat, meaning that this selfish act left half the station’s fleet unavailable to respond to emergency calls.

The RNLI managed to track down the owner of the car, who was out on the water, but when they tried to come back in, they got into difficulty and had to request the assistance of the Calshot lifeboat.

According to Hampshire Live, a spokesperson said: “The ideal asset to launch would have been the Atlantic 85 – the asset blocked into the shed, instead we needed to launch our D Class lifeboat ‘Willett’ to assist.

“Our volunteer crew are committed to saving lives at sea 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is critical that we can access the assets we need, when we need them.”

Taking to social media, RNLI Calshot issued a ‘polite reminder’ following the incident: “When the pagers sound, every second counts and not being able to launch the most suitable boat for the job could literally be the difference between life and death.”

Many people commented in support of the RNLI, calling the car owner “stupid”, “inconsiderate” and an “absolute tool”, with suggestions that the car should have been “unceremoniously moved without care” or that the team “should just pick it up with a forklift and drag it out the way.”

26 responses to “Car owner blocks in lifeboat then calls for help”

  1. Steve Barbier says:

    Should name and shame him…………..

  2. Richard Giles says:

    Tool is an understatement.

  3. Liz says:

    Thoroughly selfish and should be punished.
    Publish the owners name so we all know who the stupid fool was.

  4. Ron Bird says:

    Should have been just removed in any possible way, that sort of idiot could have cost me my life, why do we in this country have to be so obliging to selfish non thinking plonkers, any damage to his car would have been fair considering the problems that could have been caused.

  5. Dave says:

    The driver is a moron however, why would the rnli not have invested in those Jack’s the council use to move cars when they are line painting. Launch his car into the sea or something.

  6. Alan Simpson says:

    I would have him thrown in jail braindead sounds more fitting.

  7. Simon says:

    Name and shame this complete tw*t,give him a big fine as well,yellow box junctions attract a fine,why not this?

  8. Matthew says:

    Simon says patt on the head

  9. Paul wrest says:

    This person should have his license removed this shows they have no
    Regard for nobody but them selves
    Paul from liverpool.

  10. Glynn Jones says:

    No respect selfish b——

  11. Graham potts, Sheffield says:

    What a total tosser!! Should be hit with a fine for obstructing! Surely emergency services could have “gently” pushed his car aside with a tractor….???……should certainly bill him for the launch……what kind of thick t**t was he??

  12. Shaun Hawkins says:

    Many years ago as a retained fireman some twat parked across the appliance bay on the yellow cross hatch blocking the appliance from exiting.
    Had no choice but to drag and bounce the car across so we could get out.
    Police rolled up an hour or so after we got back with a lorry and hi ab and lifted it onto the back of a lorry and off to the compound.
    So im guessing that cost them dearly.
    This inconsiderate twat parked outside the lifeboat station should of fined, car taken away and crushed.
    Twats like that shouldn’t be on the road.

  13. Mike from Chingford says:

    What a complete f__kin selfish prick putting other people’s lives at risk because of his ignorance, then having the nerve to call those brave men and women for help. They deserve to be fined and locked up.

  14. Chris Preedy says:

    Name and shame this idiot

  15. David Fillingham says:

    See Some Just Do Not Think. And he has a drivers licence. Good job no one died. £1,000 FINE.
    Mind Over Matter. I Don’t Mind as No Else Matters attitude.
    Hope the driver is feeling guilt and some day he might start thinking

  16. Ron beveridge says:

    The idiot should be fined and named these people who man the lifeboats risk their lives at risk every day to rescue someone ,I wonder if the idiot apologized with a wad of cash to the lifeboats fund I bet not

  17. Rob says:

    Completely selfish act: he should be fined. What if someone had died at sea because the boat couldn’t be launched? At the very least he should be named & shamed. Or they could have wheel locked his car & trailer & charged him a huge fee for release.
    Just shunting the vehicles out of the way would have been completely acceptable & if it got damaged, tough luck.
    “Lifeboat” could be painted on door or in yellow box. People stop & park in them all the time as there is rarely any penalty. The lifeboat sign is quite small & well above head / eye height

  18. Keith Davies says:

    Publish his photo?

  19. Kevin Hughes says:

    The driver should have been charged for the cost of the rescue.

  20. Andrew says:

    Bigger signage …
    No they shouldnt park on yellow hatching
    Prat…….

  21. Captain sensible says:

    I think its all been said, unfortunately you come across these people in all walks of life .
    They are Thatchers children ,pull the ladder up jack im ok .
    One for one and one for one

  22. M.c.SPRING says:

    He or she probably went to pub after incident.and had a laugh and a joke about it all.

  23. John Mckenna says:

    Pure ass hole

  24. John Rhoded says:

    We had a similar problem at our theatre where a car was parked across an emergency exit.
    We always check before a show.
    Did a call over the sound system for the owner to mdve his can, but no response. It was a 2CV, so the stage crew picked it up and carried it round the corner, and then we started the show almost fifteen minutes late.
    At the end of the performance we were outside waiting.
    Along came to owner…..
    “Oh yes I heard the anouncements, but I knew where the car was so wasn’t bothered.
    Now where the hell is my bloody car!!”
    Some people eh?

  25. Anthony King says:

    They should have been radioed and told that the lifeboat could not be launched as they have blocked it in with their vehicle and trailer

  26. Robert p Alexander says:

    How would Mr Selfish B Stupid have felt if one of his family died because the selfless crew were unable to launch and rescue them. Just a thought. R