As Margate RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat were getting ready for their regular afloat training exercise around 6pm on Wednesday (5 August) a woman alerted them to her teenage son who was struggling in the sea just yards from the lifeboat station.
He had been caught by the crashing reflected waves in front of the promenade seawall and his father had entered the sea to assist his son.
The lifeboat crew were immediately able to put their training to the test and using a throw line from the lifeboat’s on-board kit establish a connection with the father and son from the top of the sea wall and slowly pull them along to the foot of the slipway.
More members of the lifeboat crew, kitted-up in drysuits and lifejackets, entered the sea from the slipway to assist the two back on to dry land. An RNLI lifeguard was also present and also entered the sea to assist in their recovery.
The lifeboat crew and lifeguard provided casualty care to the two casualties, also providing reassurance for the boy’s mother. As a precaution the duo were handed into the care of South East Coast Ambulance Service.
Emma MacFarlane, Launch Authority, Margate RNLI said: “This really was an extraordinarily opportunistic incident. While the lifeboat itself wasn’t launched, rapid and spontaneous assistance by a total of ten RNLI lifeboat personnel and the RNLI lifeguard were able to rescue the crew literally within minutes.
“Had the crew not been at the lifeboat station at the time, the delay in getting assistance could have resulted in a totally different outcome.”
why are so many people putting their life’s at risk this year we are constantly reading of people in trouble
Perception of seaside risk is inherently skewed when you see other people enjoying a shoreline splash with all the attendant benefits of permissable weather, accessible outdoor foodstuffs, and the sight of ever more fun seekers doing exactly the same without incident. It’s not hard to see why it’s a self fulfilling summertime pursuit.
Shoreline water can appear calm, but currents can drag oneself into unexpected difficulties. Ignorance plays a part too: the pervasive ethos of “if they’re doing it, I must to do the same!” almost resonates like a tantrum of imprudence.
Then you have tiny newsbites like this with zero coverage elsewhere. Maybe some have chosen to “unread’ the reports of bathers being out of their depth (npi).