Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat called to a kite surfer thought to be trouble

Concerned onlookers on the South Beach at Lowestoft, who had been watching the solo kite surfer, saw that he appeared to be in trouble having reached the sandbank. They called the UK Coastguard who alerted Lowestoft RNLI Lifeboat and the town’s Coastguard Rescue Team to investigate.

Lifeboat Deputy Second Coxswain Michael Robbins said, “We launched our relief lifeboat ‘John Metters’ shortly after 6pm and soon reached the sandbank opposite to Rectory Road in Lowestoft. It was quite choppy with waves breaking over the shallow sand bar and our volunteer crew quickly spotted an abandoned kite that we recovered with a boathook. Meanwhile we learnt from the UK Coastguard that the surfer had managed to free himself from his kite and abandoned it before swimming ashore.”

Later after the crew returned to the lifeboat station the surfer came to collect his kite and said that he struggled with the kite for a couple of minutes before deciding that as it was getting late he would get himself ashore.

“He was well prepared with all the right kit on so he wasn’t cold. He was worried about not being spotted in the gloom. On reaching the beach a couple of people ran up to him to check that he was alright.”

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· Mick Howes, Lowestoft RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
01502 562488 / 07814 468917 email [email protected]

· Clare Hopps RNLI Regional Media Officer (North East & East), Tel 07824 518641 [email protected]

· Jim RIce, RNLI Regional Media Manager, Tel: 07810 658 072. Jim[email protected]

· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789. For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

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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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