Child rescued by Cullercoats RNLI thanks to fast action by member of the public

The crew at Cullercoats were in the process of cleaning up after their annual Harbour Day fundraising event when the pager sounded. Tasked by HM Coastguard to the south end of Whitley Bay, the crew were on scene within minutes of receiving the call to action.

A child was quickly located around 50m from the beach, taken onboard the lifeboat and transported to Cullercoats lifeboat station, where they were taken into the care of the ambulance service and reunited with their worried parents.

Member of the public Nadia Benstead, who had spent the day helping out as a volunteer at Cullercoats Harbour Day, raised the alarm. Nadia said, ‘we were walking along the promenade for fish and chips and saw the child enter the water. I knew something wasn’t right so called 999 and asked for the coastguard. The lifeboat arrived very quickly; I’m so pleased I knew what to do as a result of my exposure to the RNLI over the years’.

Cullercoats RNLI volunteer crew member Anna Heslop-Latif took the role of lifeboat helm for the rescue. She said, ‘my heart skipped a beat when I heard what the call was for. I knew time was of the essence and luckily, we were still on station, cleaning up after our fundraising day. Our team at Cullercoats jumped into action to launch the boat within a minute. By coincidence, it was my best friend, Nadia, who made the 999 call.’

Anna added that she was in no doubt that it was Nadia’s quick thinking and the actions of the lifeboat crew that saved the life of the child. She said, ‘I am so proud of the whole team and grateful to our local community who support us and make rescues like this possible’.

RNLI Media Contacts

For further information, please contact:

Sarah Whitelaw, 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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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.