RNLI purchases 7 Griffon Hoverwork 470TDs

As many Emergency Service and Rescue personnel can testify to, more often than not the scene of an emergency is in an area where local conditions make it difficult if not dangerous to attempt a rescue. This means that the crucial first minutes of a rescue can pass before personnel have reached the scene of the accident. A small amphibious hovercraft can help Emergency Services reach a casualty quickly and safely; their unusual properties mean they can travel at high speed over difficult terrain such as flood waters, rapids, mud flats, thin ice, swamps, debris strewn rivers, and snow.

This is certainly true for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) – the charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the UK and Republic of Ireland. The charity has purchased seven of Griffon Hoverwork’s 470TDs to add to its fleet of more than 300 lifeboats, which range from 5m to 17m in length. RNLI lifeboats can be divided into two categories: all-weather lifeboats and inshore lifeboats. Different classes of lifeboat are needed for different places due to the geography of the area and the nature of the rescue. Hovercrafts are a complement to the lifeboat fleet as they can operate in areas such as mud flats or river estuaries, allowing the charity’s volunteer crews to carry out vital rescue work in the areas that are inaccessible to conventional lifeboats.

The RNLI is not the only rescue service that Griffon Hoverwork has supplied. The Avon Fire and Rescue Service purchased a Griffon 380TD hovercraft to operate along the shoreline of Weston-super-Mare, which is equipped to deal with a range of incidents including rescuing people who have became trapped in the mud and providing support to the area during times of inland flooding. Looking further afield, Griffon hovercraft also help with rescue missions around the World. The Indian Coast Guard recently purchased six Griffon 8000TD(M) hovercraft, to be used for anti-smuggling and anti-infiltration, particularly in areas of very shallow water around India’s extensive coastline and offshore islands, whilst the Kuwait Coast Guard use their fleet of five 470TDs for customs and policing duties, as well as for search and rescue, maritime pollution limitation and logistics support.

When airports are surrounded by difficult terrain, Griffon hovercraft are often the only craft capable of providing rescue services in these areas. Equipped with full fire fighting and life saving equipment, these unique amphibious high speed craft will deal with almost any emergency scenario. Airports currently operating Griffon rescue hovercraft including Singapore Changi airport, Rio de Janero International Airport, Auckland International airport, Dundee Airport (UK), Shannon Airport (Eire).

See below a video of Griffon hovercraft being used by the RNLI.

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