Morecambe lifeboat crew recover kayak on Lune

Launching from the hovercraft station, by the Stone Jetty, the crew quickly proceeded to the area and, after making their way upriver, located the kayak before beginning a search of the immediate area for any possible casualty. After satisfying themselves that none was present, the volunteers took the kayak on board and transported it to Snatchems; where they transferred it over to members of the local Coastguard team. Due to the deteriorating weather conditions the volunteers had to recover the hovercraft onto its transporter at Sunderland Point; eventually returning to Station by road.

Morecambe RNLI volunteer Deputy Launching Authority, Colin Midwinter, said ‘It was important that the crew were able to establish there was no injured or stranded casualty present. It would appear that the kayak had been washed ashore by the tide and it is likely that it would have moved again on the next tide. By recovering it, the crew have prevented another alert and possibly enabled the Coastguard to return the kayak to its owner.’

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

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.