RNLI rescues person on inflatable blown far out to sea from beach
On Saturday 5 April, Newhaven RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew were paged at 6.12pm to reports of an inflatable blown out to sea from Seaford Beach.
Newhaven RNLI launched the charity’s D class inshore lifeboat D-890 Bill Hall with four crew to reports of an inflatable blown out to sea in Seaford Bay, after being requested by HM Coastguard.
The lifeboat proceeded at best speed to the last reported location of the casualty, approximately 1/4 mile offshore in the middle of Seaford Bay.
The casualty was located 1 mile south east of Newhaven. Lifeboat crew confirmed that the individual was alone, and no other casualties were involved. Once the casualty had been brought on board the lifeboat, the crew conducted welfare checks on them, checking that they had no injuries and had not inhaled any water. The crew also recovered the inflatable boat.
The casualty was wearing a buoyancy aid and had a mobile phone with them. They were returned to their family on Seaford Beach. The lifeboat returned to Newhaven Lifeboat Station to wash down and refuel. Crew pagers were back on at 7.25pm.
Dan Wittenberg, D class helm, said: ‘Once the casualty was onboard the lifeboat, we made sure they were safe and well, and also provided a waterproof blanket to keep them warm and dry. Inflatables are great fun in a swimming pool but with an offshore breeze, it’s easy to find yourself in trouble very quickly.’
‘When visiting the south coast over the coming months it is important to know the risks. You should always have means of calling for help if you, or someone else around you gets into trouble. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if you, or someone around you gets into trouble in the water’
97% of the RNLI’s frontline lifesavers are volunteers, including 5,700 volunteer lifeboat crew members at stations around the UK and Ireland. Without our incredible volunteer lifesavers, the RNLI could not provide a 24/7 lifesaving service.
Notes to editors
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Newhaven RNLI was established in 1803, and covers from Beachy Head to Brighton. It’s a modern afloat station and operates an all-weather Severn class lifeboat, and a D class inshore lifeboat.
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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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