Bridge rescue for Morecambe lifeboat crew
At 08.20am on Monday 29 April 2019, members of Morecambe’s volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew were tasked by HM Coastguard to launch their inshore lifeboat and go to the assistance of a Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service team.
The Fire and Rescue Service team were assisting a man who had become stuck on Carlisle Bridge, over the River Lune in Lancaster, while attempting to take photographs.
Due to the ebbing tide, the inshore rescue hovercraft was launched instead (from outside the Golden Ball Inn at Snatchems); the crew then making their way up river to the scene of the incident. On arrival, the lifeboat crew positioned themselves underneath the Bridge; enabling the Fire Service Rescue Team to lower the casualty and one of their team down into the safety of the hovercraft.
The RNLI volunteers then transported the casualty back to their launch site, where he was transferred into the care of a North West Ambulance Service team.
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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.