Thankfully, on each occasion those involved were found safe and well
Bridlington RNLI volunteer crew return L-R Dalton Smith, AJ Shepherd and Adam Morland(Image: RNLI/Mike Milner)
Bridlington RNLI’s volunteer crew had a busy afternoon earlier this week as the hot weather continued to draw people to the East Yorkshire coastline. The team responded to four separate incidents on Thursday (August 13), involving three missing children and two adult paddleboarders who needed help.
The first call came in shortly before 3pm with the fourth calling the crew out at 6.42pm – with two other incidents in between. The first call came at 2.51pm when HM Coastguard tasked the charity’s inshore lifeboat (ILB) Ernie Wellings, following reports of a young child missing on South Beach. Three volunteers prepared to launch but shortly before they entered the water, it was confirmed that the child had been found.
The second call came in at 3.25pm while crews were still recovering the lifeboat, also involving a missing child who was believed to be on a body board in the South Beach area. The crew launched and began searching the surrounding waters and shoreline of the child’s last known location. The child was found on the shore and was safe and well.
The crew were making their way back towards the launch site when a third call was received from the HM Coastguard. This call came in at 3.39pm and involved another missing child on South Beach. The child was found and crews recovered Ernie Wellings after this third incident.
A fourth request came from the HM Coastguard at 6.42pm. This time, two adult paddleboarders in the water were struggling to return to shore. The pair were in the water on the north side of the town. The volunteer crew were stood down at 6.51pm as the pair had safely returned to shore.
It made for a busy first afternoon for new volunteer crew member Dalton Smith, who was taking part in his first operational service aboard the Bridlington inshore lifeboat. He said: “To be involved in three call outs within such a short period of time on my first operational outing was certainly an experience. Thankfully, on each occasion the children were found safe and well, which is the best possible outcome for everyone concerned.”
Bridlington RNLI Launch Authority Chris Feeley said: “It is all too easy to become separated from your children on a very busy beach, and it can be extremely distressing for everyone involved. Fortunately, there are simple steps families can take to help. Bridlington RNLI has been supplied with thousands of beach safety wristbands which allow parents and carers to write their contact number on them for children to wear while visiting the beach. If a child becomes separated from their family, these wristbands can help emergency services or members of the public reunite them much more quickly.”
Beach safety wristbands are available free of charge from the RNLI shop beside Bridlington Lifeboat Station, the RNLI shop on King Street, RNLI Lifeguard units, Richie’s Café and the Foreshore Office on the South Promenade.
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