RNLI rescues nine in series of incidents

Appledore RNLI experienced a particularly demanding day on Sunday. August 11, responding to three consecutive emergency calls while participating in the village carnival.

The volunteer crew began their busy afternoon just before 3pm when they were called to assist two paddle boarders in distress. 

Strong offshore winds and an ebbing tide had carried the individuals 600 meters out to sea. The inshore lifeboat, Glanely, quickly responded and brought both paddle boarders safely back to shore.

As the crew returned to their station, they received another call for help, this time from Putsborough, where two paddle boards with individuals in difficulty were reported. 

The lifeboat was dispatched again and successfully rescued both people from the boards, returning them to the beach.

Shortly after this rescue, the lifeboat was redirected for a third time to Putsborough. 

What initially appeared as a call for a single paddle boarder in trouble turned into a larger operation, involving two groups of people: one group of two paddle boarders and another of three. 

All individuals were safely brought to shore.

In an unexpected twist, as the lifeboat was nearing its station, it was called out once more to recover an inflatable Lama that had drifted out to sea. 

Luckily, there was no owner with it. 

The Lama, which had been spinning uncontrollably on the water, was retrieved. 

However, the Lama did not return in time to participate in the carnival.

Throughout the day, the RNLI's activities were punctuated by their ongoing role in the carnival, where they were preparing to display their inflatable Quackers mascota large duck that had been rescued in a previous incident at Westward Ho!.

RNLI Lifeboat Station Manager Bob Meller advised the public against taking inflatable items to sea and warned of the dangers posed by offshore winds and ebbing tides. 

He also explained the importance of wearing buoyancy aids and following safety guidance provided by lifeguards.

He said: “The moral of the story is please do not take inflatables to sea. Please do not paddle board, especially on an inflatable, on an ebbing tide with an offshore wind. Please wear a buoyancy aid; many of these casualties were not.”

Despite the challenging conditions and numerous rescues, all individuals involved were safely brought back to shore, and RNLI lifeguards continued their efforts to maintain safety at the beach.