Both of Arbroath’s RNLI lifeboats were launched on Saturday evening (16th May) following reports of a teenage male stuck at the base of Arbroath cliffs.
The volunteer crews were tasked by HM Coastguard at 8.55pm and made their way quickly to the scene.
A small group of teenagers had been jumping from the cliffs into the sea (also known as tombstoning) close the Horseshoe cave when one of the party found himself stuck and clinging to rocks with an incoming tide.
Emergency services were contacted with HM Coastguard and Police Scotland also attending the incident.
The crew on board inshore lifeboat Robert Fergusson were able to remove the teen from the cliffs and transfer him to the all-weather lifeboat Inchape for transit back to Arbroath harbour.
Once back in harbour the lifeboat crew handed the casualty into the care of the awaiting NHS paramedics to be checked over.
Lifeboat operations manager, Alex Smith, said “Thankfully our volunteer crews were able to attend this incident quickly and bring the casualty safely back to shore.
However, we must urge members of the public to continue following government advice during lockdown as a result of the current pandemic to ensure the safety of themselves and our crews.”
Arbroath RNLI would like to warn people of the dangers of activities such as tombstoning. Water changes depth significantly with tide and water may be much shallower than it looks. Submerged items such as rocks may not be visible and could cause serious injury, including paralysis, or even death.
Water temperature can also be very dangerous, with cold water shock making it extremely difficult to swim.
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.
