Late-night rescue as carbon monoxide alarm forces family to flee Écrehous

Thursday 29 June 2023

An RNLI lifeboat was called to the Écréhous in the early hours of this morning to rescue a family staying in a hut after their carbon monoxide alarm sounded.

The St. Catherine’s inshore lifeboat was sent to the reef, about six miles off Jersey’s north-east coast, at about 01:10 when the family of four reported that an alarm had sounded indicating unsafe levels of the potentially deadly gas.

The family were able to safely leave the hut before the crew arrived and were reluctant to spend the rest of the night on the reef.

In a statement, the RNLI said: "The crew made their way to the Ecréhous in good conditions, although with the cloud cover there was very little natural light.

"The family were brought on board the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat and the crew and casualties returned safely to Jersey in the early hours.

"Whilst this was not a typical shout, the rescue serves as a reminder to all boat and home users of the importance of smoke and gas alarms, particularly when staying overnight."