An increase in activity with the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions has been reflected in a busy bank holiday Monday for Margate’s volunteer lifeboat crew.
It had been a quiet few weeks for the crew during the recent lockdown but a combination of the easing of restrictions, favourable weather conditions and a bank holiday has meant a return to business as usual with two call-outs for the town’s inshore lifeboat.
Around 4pm yesterday ( May 25) UK Coastguard received a report of two people in a dinghy drifting seaward with the tide off Epple Bay. The inshore lifeboat was tasked along with Margate’s coastguard rescue team, the latter were quickly on scene and able to establish the dinghy had returned to shore safely with assistance from a jet-ski from Beresford Water Ski Club. The lifeboat was recalled and returned to station.
A few hours later, around 7pm, UK Coastguard received a further call from Kent Police reporting a swimmer appearing to be in difficulties off Walpole Bay, Cliftonville, a second person had also entered the water to assist. The inshore lifeboat along with the coastguard rescue team and police officers were tasked and once on scene found the original casualty in shallow water attempting with some difficulty to make his way back to shore. Members of the lifeboat crew and coastguard officers assisted the casualty back to shore and he was handed into the care of South East Coast Ambulance Service.
Peter Barker, Deputy Launching Authority, Margate RNLI said: “Following the recent restrictions and throughout the period of lockdown we have implemented measures to minimise the risk to our volunteer lifeboat crew while maintaining a full service capability with both our inshore and all-weather lifeboats. We urge people to follow safety advice which is available at https://bit.ly/Beach_Safe_RNLI
