Brighton RNLI rescue swimmers clinging to life rings off Brighton Pier

Two female swimmers who were clinging to life rings underneath Brighton Pier were rescued by volunteer lifeboat crew members yesterday (23 July).

The crew from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Brighton station launched at 8.27pm following a 999 call from a member of the public to local coastguards.

The caller reported seeing two girls stranded on the west side of Brighton Pier, clinging to the support pillars after getting into distress in the sea approximately 50 metres from the shore.

The lifeboat rescuers arrived in the inshore lifeboat, Random Harvest, to find the girls were being kept afloat in the water by life rings that had been thrown to them by pier staff. Roger Cohen, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Brighton RNLI, said: ‘The girls were both 15 years old, and told us they had been swimming on the west side of the pier when suddenly the beach shelved and dropped away. Finding themselves suddenly in deeper water, one girl panicked and they managed to get to a pier support.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.