Barrow RNLI Lifeboat rescues walkers cut off by rising tide
Volunteer crew from the RNLI’s Barrow station launched their inshore lifeboat this morning, Sunday 19th November 2017, to rescue members of the public who were in danger of becoming stranded on Foulney Island due to the rising tide.
RNLI Personnel who were already in the vicinity of the Lifeboat Station at Roa Island this morning had observed the people trying to make their way off the nearby Foulney Island. The access path that links Foulney Island to the mainland is in a poor condition and very uneven. The tide was still rising at the time and, realising that they were in danger of being cut off, the people had decided to wade through the water to get back to the Roa Island causeway. In order to ensure that everyone was safe it was decided to launch the inshore lifeboat, ‘Vision of Tamworth’, and at 11-15 am the crew was paged. The lifeboat was launched at 11-25 am with crew Jonny Long and Ben Jackson on board and it was quickly on the scene.
The casualties, two adults and two children, were picked up and taken by the lifeboat safely back to the shore. They were cold and wet following their experience, but were uninjured.
The ‘Vision of Tamworth’ then returned to the lifeboat station at 11-45 am where it was made ready for the next launch.
The wind at the time of the incident was south-easterly Force 2 and the high tide was at 11-42 am with a predicted height of 9.1 metres.
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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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