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Harwich RNLI urges swimmers to choose a lifeguarded beach after two launches
Harwich RNLI’s volunteer crew are urging people to think before they swim, after the station’s inshore lifeboat was called out twice in just over two hours to people in difficulty in the water off local beaches.
The first call came on the afternoon of Tuesday 4 August. The inshore lifeboat launched at 4.15pm to reports of four youths in trouble while swimming off Dovercourt beach, and was on scene by 4.22pm. Three of the group managed to swim ashore. The fourth was recovered onto the lifeboat and landed on the beach unharmed.
At 6.32pm the same evening the crew launched again, this time to reports of two children being swept out to sea near Felixstowe Pier. Both were safely ashore before the lifeboat reached the scene, and the crew were stood down at 6.41pm.
Neither location has RNLI lifeguard cover. Dovercourt is patrolled by Tendring District Council’s seafront warden service, which runs from 11am to 5pm at weekends and during school holidays. Wardens give safety advice, carry first aid kits and can raise the alarm quickly, but they are not beach lifeguards and are not expected to enter the water.
A spokesperson for Harwich RNLI said: ‘Two launches in one evening, and on both occasions people got out of the water safely. That is the outcome we want every time, but it does not take much for a shout like this to go the other way.
‘It is worth understanding the difference between a warden and a lifeguard. The wardens at Dovercourt do a valuable job and they can get help moving very quickly, but they are not there to swim out to you. A lifeguarded beach has a patrol watching the water and red and yellow flags marking where it is safest to swim, and that is a different level of protection.
‘If you can, choose a lifeguarded beach such as Clacton or Frinton, and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you cannot get to one, check the tide times and the wind before you go, read the local safety signs, keep children within arm’s reach and make sure you know how you would raise the alarm.’
If you get into trouble in the water
The RNLI is asking swimmers to remember Float to Live. The average sea temperature around the UK and Ireland is around 12°C, cold enough to trigger cold water shock, which makes you gasp uncontrollably and can leave the strongest swimmer helpless within seconds. Anyone who gets into difficulty should fight the instinct to thrash about, lean back in the water with their ears submerged, spread their arms and legs and float until the initial effects pass. It usually takes around 90 seconds. Once you have control of your breathing, call for help or swim to safety.
The crew also remind families that blow-up toys and airbeds are designed for swimming pools, not the sea, where an offshore wind can carry them out in moments.
If you see someone in trouble in the water, or you get into difficulty yourself, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.
Notes to Editor
The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) is the charity that saves lives at sea.
Harwich Lifeboat Station was founded in 1829 and is based on The Quay, Harwich. The station operates two lifeboats: the all-weather Severn class ALB Albert Brown and the B class ILB Tierney, Harvey and Sonny Reid.
RNLI Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
Adam Prescott, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI North and East, [email protected]
Clare Hopps, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for North East and East England, 07824 518641, [email protected]
Richard Grange, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for North East and East England, 07483 112015, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
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For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok 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.