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Seahouses lifeboats launched to report of missing kayakers

Lifeboats News Release

Both Seahouses lifeboats were returning to harbour after a routine training exercise at 11:54am on Sunday 12 May 2019, when they were tasked by UK Coastguard to search for two missing kayakers.

A car believed to have belonged to the kayakers, was reported to be still in the Red Barnes Carpark at Bamburgh, and the two kayakers had launched from Greenhill, near Bamburgh the previous evening. It appeared that they had not returned.

A concerned carpark attendant raised the alarm. Local coastguard teams were checking the Bamburgh area on the shore. In consultation with the Coastguard, it was agreed that the all-weather lifeboat would make a search of the Farne Islands, while the inshore lifeboat would carry out a shoreline search and then join the all-weather lifeboat at the Farne Islands.

At just after 12:30pm, further information was received by the Coastguard. The kayakers had been located ashore elsewhere, and were safe and well.

All rescue units were then stood down and returned to station.

There are no photographs of this incident.

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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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