West Kirby RNLI rescue two people and two dogs cut off by the tide
The volunteer crew were paged at 12.15pm to assist the individuals who had been cut off by the high tide between Little Eye and Middle Eye.
The individuals contacted HM Coastguard to inform them they had been cut off by the fast flooding tide and were stranded on rocks surrounded by water. The Coastguard subsequently requested the launch of West Kirby RNLI.
Meanwhile, West Kirby’s Lifeboat Operations Manager advised the casualties to remain on the rocks in order to prevent them from entering deeper water.
Within ten minutes of the pager sounding, West Kirby’s D class lifeboat, Leonard Pownall, launched on service and proceeded to the islands in challenging conditions with strong winds.
Once on scene, the crew located the individuals who were up to their shins in water between Little Eye and Middle Eye, with water either side of them far deeper and fast flooding.
They were brought aboard the lifeboat along with their dogs and recovered to Sandy Lane slipway where they were met by shore crew and Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team.
As the casualties were cold and wet, they were brought back to the lifeboat station to warm up, given a hot cup of tea and provided with safety advice.
The lifeboat was washed down, refuelled and made ready for service by 1.15pm.
Rich Diamond, West Kirby RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, said:
‘We’ve had some particularly high tides this week, today’s being just under 9.5m. These tides come in very quickly and can catch many people out.
‘These individuals did the correct thing in checking the tide times, but unfortunately misunderstood them. It’s important to remember to make sure you leave Hilbre Island no later than three hours before the next high tide to get back safely to West Kirby.
‘As always, we urge anybody in difficulty at the coast to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard the second they believe they, or anybody else, is in danger. We will always be here 24/7 to help.’
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For more information please contact Eve Kemp, Lifeboat Press Officer, on [email protected] or 07446888713.
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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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