Windsurfer rescued by Hartlepool RNLI
A windsurfer who was reported to be in difficulty off Seaton Carew was rescued by Hartlepool RNLI volunteers on Monday 4th July.
Hartlepool RNLI were paged at 5.39pm with the the inshore lifeboat 'Solihull' and 4 volunteer crew launching at 5.50pm and were on scene with in a few minutes by which time the windsurfer had drifted a mile and a half to the North Gare where the inshore lifeboat crew then discovered that the windsurfer had clambered onto some rocks.
Despite the strong winds that made the inshore lifeboat difficult to manoeuvre helmsman Ken Hay brought the lifeboat up to the rocks and collected the windsurfer and his equipment and returned him to the beach at Seaton Carew.
Ken said "Despite his ordeal the windsurfer appeared to be physically okay and he was really glad to see us. One of my crew went ashore with his equipment then came back and returned him unscathed to the beach at Seaton Carew where the local Coastguard were waiting to assist him. Despite the windy conditions it was good to bring the incident to a safe and satisfactory conclusion".
The inshore lifeboat returned to the Ferry Road lifeboat station at 6.20pm and was refuelled and made ready for service by 6.45pm.
Sea conditions were calm with good visibility and an11-22 knot wind.
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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