Following an extensive police search of the local area, the crew, who were down the boathouse carrying out routine maintenance on equipment, were asked by the police to assist with a search of the beach, caves and cliffs around Cullercoats Bay. Crew members headed out with torches and other night search equipment to assist the police but found no one matching the description in the area. At 7:59pm, following a request from Northumbria Police, the Coastguard paged the Crew requesting the Lifeboat to launch to conduct a search of the cliffs and beaches between Cullercoats Bay and St Mary's Island. A crew of 4, who were already at the boathouse, launched immediately and conducted a slow and thorough search of coastal areas, but were unable to locate the individual. Fortunately, the person was located by Northumbria Police safely away from the coastline and the lifeboat was stood down. This is a fantastic example of a multi agency search, involving not only the RNLI and police, but also Coastguard Search and Rescue units from Blyth and Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade.
Written by Alex Bateman, Crew Member.
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 142,700 lives.
