Lytham St Annes RNLI called to four girls in danger of being cut off by the tide

The volunteer crew of the Lytham St Annes RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) Sally responded to a request to launch from Holyhead Coastguard at 6.46 pm today (Wednesday 4th May) when four girls were seen on the river bank near the 8 mile perch with the Spring tide starting to flood rapidly into the channel, cutting them off. 

The ILB was taken to the launch site at Seafield Road (Church Scar) with three crew members and set off upriver to the girls.  The teenagers very sensibly did not attempt to cross the rapidly filling channel to get back to the Lytham side as that could have put them into great danger.

The Inshore Lifeboat took the girls off the bank and brought them back to land them at Seafield Road.  They were then passed into the care of the Lytham Coastguard mobile unit who drove them up the beach to the Promenade. 

The girls, who had been out walking on the beach in the sunny weather, then set off for home after a somewhat adventurous hour.  The ILB was then returned to her boathouse and refuelled and washed off by 7.40pm.

Lifeboat Mechanic Ben McGarry later said that the girls had done the right thing to stay where they were until help arrived as they were not in immediate danger as long as they did not try to cross the channel to get back to Lytham. 
Photo
1) Lytham St Annes ILB speeds down river after picking up the four girls (photo by Ben McGarry)
2) Lytham St Annes D class Inshore Lifeboat D657 Sally being washed off and made ready for her next call out after the service on 4th May 2016 (photo by David Forshaw)


Notes to editors
• Lytham St Annes lifeboat station was founded in 1851
• To learn more about the station, go to the Lytham St Annes station page

RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact David Forshaw, Lytham St Annes Lifeboat Press Officer on 07904 685 206 or Peter Whalley, Lytham St Annes Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07872 026395 or Alison Levett, RNLI Media Relations Manager, North, on 01642 750585 or 07786 668912 or at alevett@rnli.org.uk

Key facts about the RNLI

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 238 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 240 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.

The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 or by email.

The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland