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RNLI rescue 14 people off Cleethorpes Beach

RNLI rescues 14 people in 1 day

RNLI rescue 14 people off Cleethorpes Beach

RNLI have rescued 14 people and 2 dogs from rising tides and vanishing sandbanks off Cleethorpes beach in what the organisation have described as a ‘mammoth day’.

They have issued a warning to the public regarding beach safety and the rapidly rising tide.

On their Facebook page, the RNLI in Cleethorpes revealed they had been called out multiple times on Thursday evening to help the groups which included four teenage girls, some as young as 13, four swimmers, and two dogs.

All of the visitors, many of them day-trippers, had to be rescued after they were stranded on areas of land which had been cut off from the beach.

The unusually high volume of calls for help was due to the time of the high tide coinciding with the recent good weather and the easing of lockdown restrictions, which saw hundreds of people flock to the coast.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned the government would not hesitate to close down seafronts if social distancing collapsed as more people returned to the coasts this weekend.

This comes after a major incident was declared in Bournemouth on Thursday when tourists overwhelmed the beach.

Matt McNally, Cleethorpes RNLI press officer, said:

“Thursday was something off a mammoth day. We were first called out around 6.10pm to reports of three men on a fast-disappearing sandbank and two 13-year-old girls who were in the water as the tide rose.

“Before returning to land, we also assisted with four swimmers out of their depth near Humberston.

“Later that night, we were also called to help rescue a mother and daughter and their two dogs cut off in a saltmarsh, along with two 17-year-old girls in the same place.

“On Friday, we were called out again at high tide to reports of people being cut-off in the same sandbank. They were fortunately allowed to walk off unaided.

“We expect a higher number of callouts whenever high tide is around early evening and we have particularly good weather.

“Typically, this was only a problem when it fell at weekends, but due to the coronavirus lockdown, it could happen on any day.

“It’s impossible to social distance either in the boat, which puts both us and the people we are helping out at higher risk, although we do use PPE wherever possible.”

RNLI rescues 14 people in 1 day RNLI rescues 14 people in 1 day

Issuing a warning, a spokesperson for the organisation added:

“Recreational sea swimming for fitness is a popular activity. Our advice is to match your aims to your experience and ability and equip yourself correctly – i.e. a wetsuit in most instances, and a swim buoy so you can be spotted from the shore and by other water users.

“Do not go alone. If you don’t have someone on the shore to keep an eye on you, consider taking a means of calling for help.

“Jumping into, and swimming in lakes and large bodies of inland open water is unfortunately not advisable. The risks posed by cold water, hidden underwater objects and dangerous entry/exit points far outweigh the temptations of a moment’s ‘fun’.”

It is expected that people will not be cut off in the evening over the coming week.

The RNLI and Cleethorpes Coastguard are remaining vigilant, and have asked beachgoers to take care near the sea.

They have asked that visitors behave responsibly, and added that if you find yourself in trouble, you should call 999 and ask for the Coast Guard.

Contact Gi Grimsby
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