RNLI New Brighton’s Lucy Shaw receives honour from Liverpool Shipwreck Society
Volunteer Crew member Lucy Shaw was presented with bronze marine medal by Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Wednesday 12 February
The circumstance of the rescue were:
At 8:10pm on Sunday 30 June 2019, Lucy, who is a Beach Lifeguard and a lifeboat crew member at New Brighton was walking with her family in Leasowe Bay.
Lucy saw a kiteboarder who was in trouble in the water and asked her family and other persons present to phone the coastguard before entering the water herself.
Despite the conditions including a breaking surf of 2 to 3 feet, Lucy swam some 150 yards out to the casualty. She discovered that he was clinging to his kiteboard, but his body and legs had become entwined in the wires from his kite. The male was struggling to stay afloat however she managed to free him from the wires. Communication during the rescue was difficult as the casualty did not speak much English.
They were joined by another foreign kiteboarder who was also entangled in the wires from his board. Lucy again assisted him, freeing him from his wires also.
Lucy continued to assist the initial casualty to float, who by now was completely exhausted. The New Brighton lifeboat arrived on scene shortly afterwards and the casualty was taken on board before being removed to New Brighton Lifeboat Station for medical attention.
Lucy then assisted the other kiteboarder to swim to shore to the waiting New Brighton Lifeboat shore crew.
Both of the kiteboarders declined any medical help and also declined to give their details.
Ian Thornton, Lifeboat Operations Manager, New Brighton Lifeboat said: ‘It is my opinion that Lucy has performed above and beyond that of expected from her. She has shown great common sense and maturity, in as much as she identified the problem, dynamically risk assessed the situation and undertook the correct course of action, without hesitating.’
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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