Three people rescued after being swept out to sea on an inflatable dingy
It happened at Scarborough's North Bay at the weekend
Scarborough RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was tasked to assist an inflatable pleasure dingy in North Bay at the weekend.
At around 1:45 pm on Saturday (24 July) a volunteer crew of three aboard the D-Class inshore lifeboat, set out to North Bay to reports of an inflatable pleasure dingy getting swept out to sea.
Despite the small pleasure craft being equipped with an electric outboard, the power of the engine was insufficient to battle against the wind.
The lifeboat crew reached the dingy swiftly as it drifted over towards the Sea Life Centre with two adults and a teenager onboard.
By this time, the wind had died down enough to allow the lifeboat to escort the dingy to shore slowly under its own power where the RNLI Lifeguards and HM Coastguard offered safety advice.
‘Always check the tides and weather before you head to sea’, said inshore lifeboat helm, Rob Gaunt.
‘It’s also important to remember that inflatables, whilst they may look fun, are not suitable for the beach. They can get caught up in the wind and tides very easily and you can soon find yourself somewhere you had no intention of being and in need of assistance.’