'Don’t use the river to cool off', says Chiswick RNLI
Lifeboat crews at Chiswick are warning people not to lower their guard to the dangers of the Thames during the hot spell as two girls in the water at Fulham were picked up by Chiswick Lifeboat and returned to safety.
At 4.30pm on Tuesday 24 July 2018, Chiswick lifeboat was called to a report of persons in the river by Bishop’s Park. On arrival they found two girls paddling in the water.
The foreshore of the Thames can be hazardous with a combination of sharp rocks, clinging mud and discarded bottles and rubbish. The crew took the girls on board, provided blankets and returned them to the steps up to the park.
Chiswick RNLI Helmsman Gavin Simmons said: 'In these sweltering conditions, don’t use the river to cool off. The foreshore can be treacherous and once in the water the tides on the tidal Thames run faster than an Olympic athlete can swim.'
Chiswick RNLI lifeboat station is the second busiest in the UK and Ireland. Since The RNLI search and rescue service on the Thames started in 2002, Chiswick Lifeboat has attended one 3,200 incidents and rescued over 1,620 people. The RNLI is entirely funded by public donations.
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- David Clarke RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (Chiswick), 07951 21 0500 David_Clarke@rnli.org.uk
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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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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 142,700 lives.
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