Redcar RNLI rescue surfer at Saltburn
Redcar RNLI volunteer crew rescued a surfer who had got into difficulties at Huntcliff Point near Saltburn on Tuesday 5 April.
The lifeboat crew managed to pull the surfer out of the water before the swell could push him into the rocks below Huntcliff.
The Leicester Challenge III Redcar RNLI’s Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat was called at 2.34pm and took around 15 minutes to reach Huntcliff Point. Despite the challenging conditions, the lifeboat crew managed to locate the surfer and pull him and his board out of the surf. He was uninjured but exhausted. The lifeboat returned with the rescued surfer to Redcar Lifeboat Station within the hour.
Nathan Hobday, Helm on Redcar RNLI’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat said: ‘The swell at the cliff was between 10 and 14ft high. I think if we had been five minutes later the surfer would have been a in a position that we wouldn’t have been able to reach.'
Mike Picknett, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redcar RNLI said: 'Fortunately a member of the public spotted the surfer was in trouble and rang 999. We responded as soon as we got the call from the Coastguard.'
He added: ‘Surfers should always let someone know where they are going and when they will be back and its always a good idea to check the weather and swell forecast. Even experienced surfers can get into difficulty.’
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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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