RNLI Whitley Bay lifeguards rescue swimmer with a dislocated knee

At around 10:10am, Whitley Bay lifeguards were setting up the beach for the day and had just put down the red and yellow flags. Lifeguard Cecelia Hudson spotted a regular beachgoer swimming in the water. The swimmer began to struggle against the choppy waves as the offshore wind picked up.

The charity’s lifeguard entered the water to assist the lady, who was then swept over by a wave. Seasonal Senior Lifeguard George Barlow immediately went to help Cecelia, who was supporting the woman as she had fallen on her left leg and dislocated her knee.

The lifeguard duo assisted the casualty out of the water and up the beach, where she underwent a series of medical checks. Although the injured lady was alert, the Whitley Bay team provided her with blankets as she grew increasingly cold. The lifeguards mobilised her knee with fracture straps and offered her pain relief.

After contacting an ambulance, the Senior enlisted the help of fellow lifeguards William Barkas and Jake Park to move the lady 100m up the beach to the Rendezvous Café. At the Café, a nearby Beach Wheelchair Access Shop assisted the RNLI team to escort the casualty in a wheelchair to her partner’s car. Luckily, the woman was in a good condition when taken to hospital.

Lead Lifeguard Supervisor Sean Mills praised his team’s medical efforts: ‘Our lifeguards have excellent training in casualty care and can provide lifesaving treatment, which is vital when waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

'It was great the lady decided to swim at an RNLI lifeguarded beach between the red and yellow flags. As soon as she found herself in difficulty, one of our team was on hand to assist her.’

For more information please visit: https://rnli.org/safety/beach-safety

Notes to editors

RNLI Whitley Bay lifeguard service has been operating since 2001. To learn more about the lifeguarded beach go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeguarded-beaches/whitley-bay-beach

Lead Lifeguard Supervisor Sean Mills is available for interview.

Photo Credit

RNLI/Derry Salter

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact Derry Salter, RNLI Media Engagement Placement on: 07929 673281 or email: [email protected]

Or, the RNLI Press Office available 24/7 on 01202 336789 [email protected]

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.