Lifeguards at Bantham Beach rescue kayakers

On Monday 29 May lifeguards at Bantham Beach in Devon went to the aid of three kayakers who had run into difficulty near Burgh Island. Attempting to return to the beach, the group had been pushed back by strong offshore winds.

The group of kayakers, realising they had run into difficulties called the UK Coastguard for help, who tasked the lifeguards to assist. Already seeing the group had run into trouble, lifeguards on the beach were on their way to assist the kayakers when they got the call.

Chris Rampling, Lifeguard Supervisor for the RNLI said, ‘it was really great to see that the kayakers had a method of calling for help and that they used it when they realised they had run into problems. We recommend always carrying a means of calling for help, as conditions can change rapidly.’

The lifeguards assisted the kayakers, and took them and their kayaks safely back to the beach.

Notes to Editors

· Daily lifeguard cover on Bantham Beach is between 29 April – 1 October.

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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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