Whitby RNLI rescue family from sea after being caught up in rip current
The town's lifeguards and the inshore lifeboat crew attended the incident yesterday
Last updated 28th Jul 2022
Whitby RNLI have saved a family from the sea after they got caught up in a rip current.
The town's lifeguards and the inshore lifeboat crew attended the incident yesterday (Wednesday 27th July) after being alerted by HM Coastguard.
The RNLI beach lifeguards were the first on the scene and quickly entered the water with a rescue board. A 999 call had been made after two adults entered the sea from the beach but quickly found themselves in difficulty.
One of the lifeguards managed to get the first casualty safely to shore using the rescue board, but when they got back to the second, the sea conditions worsened and it became difficult to get the casualty to safety.
The RNLI says the inshore lifeboat had also been launched and arrived on the scene. Due to the large swell they could not safely make close contact with the three in the water and instead used the safer technique of using a throw bag with a line attached to the lifeboat.
They were then able to pull the casualty to the inshore lifeboat and get them safely on board. The RNLI Lifeguards were able to make their own way back to the shore.
Due to the sea conditions they decided to take the casualty to the bandstand steps in the harbour where the Coastguard team were waiting to check them over and give safety advice.
RNLI volunteer and helm on board the inshore lifeboat, Andy Cass, said: "It is not always obvious that there is a rip current, it can be very deceptive and often appears like a calmer stretch of water with breaking waves either side. However this is the point where the water is channeling back out to sea at it can be impossible to fight the current.
"Thank you to the Coastguard and Lifeguards for their rapid responses, without all three team's involvement, the situation could have escalated quickly and the outcome could have been a lot worse."
The RNLI's advice if you do find yourself in a rip current is:
- Don’t try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted.
- If you can stand, wade don’t swim.
- If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore.
- Always raise your hand and shout for help.
For more information: https://rnli.org/safety/know-the-risks/rip-currents