Two call outs in three hours for St Bees RNLI.
St Bees RNLI volunteers were called twice in three hours for two separate operations, both involving Whitehaven and Maryport Coastguard, as well as Rescue 199 helicopter.
The first of the evenings call out came at 7:33pm when the St Bees RNLI volunteers were launched to assist the paramedics from the North West Cumbria Ambulance Service and Whitehaven and Maryport Coastguard.
A young person had been injured after falling from their bike on the rocks at Saltcom Bay, just south of Whitehaven. The RNLI lifeboat arrived at the incident and sent two of their volunteers ashore to assist both the paramedics and Coastguard teams who were attending the casualty. The teenager was successfully transferred to the waiting helicopter Rescue 199 and taken to hospital for further checks.
The St Bees volunteers had only just returned home after washing and refuelling their lifeboat when their pagers went off again. At 10:11pm they were paged after a member of the public had seen someone walk into the sea in Saltcom Bay.
When they did not see them return they raised the alarm. St Bees lifeboat carried out a general search of the area between St Bees and Whitehaven along with the coastguard teams from Whitehaven and Maryport. Rescue helicopter 199 was also recalled to help in the search.. After an extensive search co-ordinated by UK Coastguard nothing was found and all the teams were stood down. Many of the personnel involved had been out on the previous rescue
Dick Beddows Lifeboat Operations Manager said ‘Well done to everyone in what was for many of the rescue service personnel involved a busy Saturday night’
Photo 1: St Bees lifeboat and Rescue 199 during the airlift of the teenager.
Photo 2: St Bees lifeboat returning after the first callout.
For more information please telephone Colin Wadey, St Bees RNLI Volunteer Press Officer on 07742207222 email [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
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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