Lifeboats rescue kite surfer in difficulty in the Ribble

Both the Lytham St Annes RNLI lifeboats were at sea on a crew training exercise on Sunday (5 November) when the UK Coastguard radioed to say a report had come in from a member of the public that a kite surfer was down in the water in Granny’s Bay, Lytham, and in difficulty. Both boats responded immediately and headed for the location given.

The station’s all-weather (ALB) Mersey class lifeboat Her Majesty the Queen arrived on scene first but as the inshore (ILB) D class relief fleet lifeboat D-725 could be seen only a few minutes away, the larger boat stood by the casualty until the smaller boat arrived. The kite surfer had lost his board and was slowly being drawn seawards as the ebb tide set in. The ILB quickly got the man aboard and after checking he was uninjured, took him back to the shore and landed him at Seafield slipway.

Coxswain Gary Bird later said that the man was fortunate that both boats were already at sea as it resulted in a speedy rescue which for a man in the water at this time of year prevented the rapid onset of hypothermia. The member of the public had done the right thing by contacting the Coastguard to raise their concern for the man as he was highly unlikely to have reached shore unaided.

Notes to editors:

Report by David Forshaw, Lytham St Annes RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer

• To learn more about the station, go to: www.lythamlifeboats.co.uk

or www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/north/stations/LythamStAnnesLancashire/

For more information please contact David Forshaw, Lytham St Annes volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07904 685 206 or [email protected], Peter Whalley, Lytham St Annes volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer on 07872 026395 or [email protected], or Chris Cousens, RNLI Media Officer, West on 07748 265486 or [email protected].

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