Christmas Day Callout For Tynemouth RNLI Volunteers
A late pager alert meant that Christmas celebrations were put on hold as our crew members rushed to help a person in the water.
The lifeboat with a crew of three launched six minutes after the launch alert and started speeding the five miles upriver to the scene of the incident.
The lifeboat had only travelled a mile when it was confirmed that the casualty was out of the water and in the hands of paramedics, so returned to station soon after.
Adrian Don, Tynemouth RNLI spokesman, said: 'Our volunteer crews are on constant standby and the festive season is no exception. They make more of a sacrifice than usual at this time of year though as they have to be mindful of the need to drive and operate our lifeboats.'
'The condition of the casualty isn't known but we hope they're well.'
'Our volunteers joined seven other RNLI crews called out this Christmas Day.'
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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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