Two 15 year old boys saved from the ebbing tide by Hayling Island RNLI Lifeboat.
Two 15 year old boys went swimming close to the Chichester Harbour entrance and were caught in the ebbing tide. A man walking by and the RNLI Lifeboat combined to save them.
The two local boys were swimming off Sandy Point and got into trouble in the Chichester Harbour ebb tide at 20:30 on Friday 5 July. With a struggle one made his way ashore,. The other one was seen by a local resident who was out walking with his wife. The man decided to enter the water and help and he managed to get the boy ashore. Both the boys were recovered from the beach by the D Class Lifeboat ‘Jacob,’ and taken to the Hayling RNLI Station for the shore crew to care for them. Their medical condition was checked by the Station Paramedic who together with the shore crew agreed that an ambulance was not required.
Both casualties were given advice as to the need to monitor their own condition over the next 24 hours and also not to swim in the Harbour mouth due to the strong currents as advised in the notices at that section of the beach. They were then taken by a lifeboat crew member back to an adult relative who was also given advice about monitoring their condition and about the dangers of swimming at the Harbour Mouth.
The RNLI would recommend only using Lifeguard protected beaches but on Hayling without lifeguards to swim off the beach along the centre of the Island where the currents are less dangerous.
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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