A LIFE-saving North Somerset charity experienced a busy few days last week.

RNLI Portishead took part in the search for a missing person, recovered a drifting tender, and assisted police in dealing with an "incident."

Posting on Facebook on Sunday (February 11), a spokesperson from the charity said: "The crew volunteers have been busy over the last few days. Thursday evening (February 8) they were tasked to help search for a missing person and launched at 11.10pm just as you could have been going to bed.

"Once they arrived on scene they carried out a search but were stood down as they were informed by the Coastguards that the person had been found safe and well.

"Today, Sunday, February 11, the volunteers were paged just before their training session started and launched at 7.59am.

"They went to support the Police with an incident believed to be developing at the mouth of the River Avon. On arriving on scene they were quickly stood down as nothing was found. It was a call with good intent.

"The crew started their normal Sunday training session and were tasked again at 10.12am whilst on the water. An upturned kayak had been spotted and with all these kind of call outs it is best to check there is nobody in distress.

"After arriving on scene it was obvious that the kayak had been in the water for some time and as the crew recovered it on to the lifeboat to avoid any more call outs, the crabs dropped on to the deck of My Lady Anne.

"It was going to be a big clean up for the volunteers!

"Just as the crew had finished refuelling and cleaning down the Atlantic class lifeboat and put her to bed, ready for service, the pager sounded for the third time (11.52pm).

"This time it was a tender drifting up the Bristol Channel. The crew launched again, it is important to check these vessels and make sure there wasn’t anyone on board in distress.

"Once again it was clear that the tender had come adrift and it is believed it may be from a boat owner near to Portishead Marina boatfolk."