Volunteer crew from New Brighton lifeboat rescues two casualties cut off by the incoming tide.
New Brighton RNLI launched on Sunday 28 June at 3.04pm on the request of HM Coastguard to reports of two people cut off by the tide and stranded at the end of the groyne at Fort Perch Rock.
The lifeboat launched and the volunteer crew were on scene within two minutes. The crew reported a large swell in the water - approximately 1-1.5 metres - which was crashing onto the groyne and were unsure whether they would be able to reach the casualties. The Coastguard helicopter was also requested at this point.
Despite the dangerous conditions the lifeboat was able to get close enough to the groyne for one of the volunteer crew members to swim from the boat and stabilise the casualties. The casualties were wearing only shorts and T-shirts, and were suffering from exhaustion due to being exposed to the poor conditions for some time and being hit repeatedly by the incoming waves. Once the casualties had been stabilised, the lifeboat crew member swam back through the swell to the boat with one of the casualties who was also a non-swimmer, handed them to the boat crew and then swam back for the second casualty. Due to the size of the swell the casualties were submerged at times.
With both of the casualties on board, the lifeboat crew returned to shore for recovery. The casualties were handed to the awaiting North West Ambulance Service and treated for shock, minor cuts, mild hypothermia and possible secondary drowning. New Brighton Lifeboat then returned to station.
Ian Thornton, Lifeboat Operations Manager, New Brighton Lifeboat said; ‘This was a fantastic team effort in dangerous and unpredictable conditions. Although conditions may look good initially, they can change quickly. We urge people to be aware of their surroundings and to check local tide times. Had it not been for the bravery and quick thinking of the volunteer crew, this could have ended very differently.’
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 over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, 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.
