Four callouts during a well attended 2025 open day for Scarborough RNLI

Visitors were given the opportunity to see parts of the station not usually open to the public which even included tours of Scarborough RNLI’s inshore and all-weather lifeboats.

Members of the volunteer crew were on-hand to deliver demonstrations, tours and sea safety advice. In addition to this, swim safe, the water safety team and face-to-face team members were there delivering water safety messaging.

The RNLI's mascot, Stormy Stan, was walking around the seafront with the volunteer lifeboat crew, as well as many activities for children to do in the station crew room.

The ladies lifeboat guild provided several tombolas, and the Chairman and his wife provided refreshments for the many visitors.

The Mayor of Scarborough Thomas Murry greeted the crew and had a tour of the station and boats.

This year, the boat tours were cut short with visitors seeing first hand how the pager system works and the inshore D class lifeboat was launched on service at 2.44pm to assist three paddleboarders in difficulty in the North Bay.

A sudden wind change had pushed them out offshore.

On scene, RNLI lifeguards were already with the casualties on a rescue watercraft. The inshore lifeboat crew safely transferred them into the lifeboat and brought them back to shore, while lifeguards recovered the paddleboards.

As the volunteer crew were completing the first rescue, a small pleasure dinghy was in difficulty nearby. A passing fishing boat had begun to tow it, and the occupants were safe.

The inshore lifeboat took over the tow to take it the dinghy out of the path of danger, and ensured the situation was under control.

Then a third tasking was sent before the crew had got the dingy to shore - this time to a solo paddleboarder in trouble off Cayton Bay.

The inshore lifeboat secured the dingy to a nearby marker and diverted to Cayton bay, three to four miles from their position. On arrival, they found the casualty alongside a lifeguard on a paddleboard. The person was recovered and taken ashore to waiting HM Coastguard rescue teams.

Once the casualty was safely on shore, the inshore lifeboat travelled back for the dingy to recover it to shore when they were tasked yet again to return to Cayton Bay to help search for thee missing children.

So the inshore lifeboat tied the dingy off again, to make it safe to assist with the search while travelling back to Cayton Bay. The three children were, thankfully, found safe and the inshore lifeboat was told to stand down.

The inshore lifeboat crew then went back to recover the dinghy to North Bay and finally returned to the boat house to clean, refuel and get the lifeboat ready for the next time its needed.

Colin Woodhead, RNLI Scarborough Chairman, said: "Flag Day is a big date in our event calendar which raised more than £1,417.53 between the donation buckets, the shop sales and the stalls.

"This year's flag day was more eventful than usual with four separate inshore lifeboat taskings. A huge thank you to everyone who came down, supported, donated, took part in the activities and tours, and helped make today such a success.

"We had a lot of people tour around the station and on the all-weather Shannon class lifeboat.

"It’s not only an opportunity where we can bring people in and really show the public how the RNLI and the station operates from the inside, but it also gives us, the crew, chance to celebrate our achievements, recognise what we’re a part of, and to take time to bond as one crew."

When going for a walk along the coastline or on the beach, the RNLI would like to remind everyone to:

● Always check the tide times and heights and keep a look out for incoming tide.

● Use tide timetables or a tidal prediction app like AnyTide.

● Make sure you have enough time to return safely. If in doubt, seek local advice.

● Always carry a means of calling for help on your person.

● Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard if you are in danger or you see someone in danger of being cut off by the tide.

● Tell someone else where you’re going and when you’ll be back. They can raise the alarm with the Coastguard by calling 999 or 112 if you are overdue.

Find out more: rnli.org/WeatherAndTides

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Powered primarily by kind donations, our search and rescue service has been saving lives for over 200 years. We are a charity founded upon and driven by our values of selflessness, courage, dependability and trustworthiness, with volunteers at our heart.

Notes to editors

Scarborough lifeboat station has been operating since 1801. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/scarborough-lifeboat-station.

RNLI media contacts

Nick Gough RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07939025881 or [email protected]. Jacob Allen RNLI Volunteer Deputy press Officer on [email protected]. or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or email [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.