Summer heatwave leads to multiple shouts for Rhyl RNLI

The first shout came in the early hours of Friday (11 July) morning with volunteers being paged by HM Coastguard at 12.40am.

The same morning at 11.28am, volunteers were once again requested by the Coastguard to attend Talacre Beach, following reports of a casualty having fallen from a horse and sustaining a kick to the head during the fall.

The charity’s inshore lifeboat arrived on scene and found the casualty was under the care of two paramedics and a friend. After a discussion between the paramedics and the lifeboat’s helm, it was deemed that the best course of action for evacuation was by helicopter. The volunteer lifeboat crew helped to create a safe landing zone for the aircraft and assisted with transferring the casualty onto the helicopter before heading back to the boathouse to prepare the lifeboat for any potential calls.

Later that evening, the crew were summed to reports of a swimmer in difficulty offshore from the Nova in Prestatyn. Arriving on scene, the volunteer crew found a windfarm support vessel had already arrived at the location and had witnessed the casualty walking out of the water themselves. This matched a report from the public who had seen the casualty leave the water themselves, not requiring any assistance.

On Sunday morning whilst completing a training exercise, the volunteer lifeboat crew were diverted to reports of a child on an inflatable drifting offshore. Arriving on scene, the crew discovered members of the public had entered the water and provided assistance. With RNLI lifeguards assisting in bringing the casualty and all others back ashore safely.

A member of the lifeboat crew went ashore to check whether any further assistance was needed before confirming everyone involved was accounted for and in good health. The lifeboat headed back to station, collecting the inflatable on the way to ensure no further incidents were caused.

Almost immediately, the crew were once again tasked by the Coastguard to assist with a pleasure boat that had suffered engine failure offshore of the Nova in Prestatyn. The all-weather lifeboat was launched due to the size of the casualty vessel and the number of people on board.

On arrival, the lifeboat crew discovered that a local angling boat was on scene and providing assistance, however they had to depart the moment the lifeboat arrived. Due to how close the vessel was to the coast with no means of navigation, the extreme heat and the casualties on board having no cover from the sunlight, the coxswain made the decision that the safest course of action was to take the vessel under tow and return it to the nearest safe location at Rhyl Harbour.

When the crew arrived at the harbour, they discovered it would not be possible to raise the footbridge allowing access for the all-weather lifeboat into the harbour. The decision was made to launch the inshore lifeboat to complete the tow and return the casualty vessel safely to the harbour. The vessel was then safely recovered and handed over to the care of Rhyl Coastguard Rescue Team and the Harbourmaster.

At 7.37pm, the charity’s lifeboat responded to a report of teenagers being swept offshore in an inflatable dingy close to the Nova in Prestatyn. Arriving within a few minutes, the volunteer crew found the dingy had managed to make it back to shore by itself and the lifeboat was no longer needed. The lifeboat was then taken back to the station and made ready for service.

Without having to wait long, volunteers were requested once more by the Coastguard to reports of a dog walker being cut off by the tide on Pensarn Beach. Arriving on the scene, the charity’s crew discovered that the casualty had made it safely off the beach and required no further assistance. The boat was once again taken back to the station, arriving back at 9.35pm.

The final call of the night came at 10.44pm, with volunteers being tasked by the Coastguard to reports of four people in the water having been cut off by the tide.

Arriving on the scene, the inshore lifeboat crew discovered two young casualties hanging on to the end perch near Rhyl Harbour. They were quickly brought aboard the inshore lifeboat and checked over before the search continued for the other missing casualties.

The crew were then informed that one had made it back ashore by themselves and within a few minutes the final casualty was located, with a volunteer crew member entering the water to rescue the final casualty. All of the casualties were then taken back to the lifeboat station where full casualty care assessments were carried out by the lifeboat crew, with some first aid for minor cuts and cold before being handed over to the care of North Wales Police.

RNLI media contacts
For more information please contact Ethan Beswick, Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected] or 07415 606340.

Alternatively you can contact Claire Fitzpatrick-Smith, Regional Communications Manager on [email protected] or 07977 728315, or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

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

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