Lifeboat crew thrown overboard and injured after ‘challenging’ search for person swept to sea
Members of a rescue team were thrown overboard and injured while trying to save a person who was swept out to sea in Blackpool.
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Members of the coast guard, police and paramedics arrived at the scene in the early hours on Friday morning after reports of a man “struggling with the waves.”
The ‘challenging’ rescue operation saw four coastguard crew members injured while battling “significant and strong waves.”
One of the crew was hurt after a wave swamped the lifeboat, throwing him backwards into the helmsman.
A helicopter was called to support the team on the ground, while coast guards spread north and south along the beach to search for the person in the water.
"It was windy with significant and strong waves. We'd received a report of a possible sighting just off Central Pier, so the Blackpool ILB launched and we dispatched rescuers from our team and Lytham down to the surfline for support,” A statement from HM Coastguard in Fleetwood said.
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"The launch proved extremely challenging for the boat crew as the boat was hit by several big waves, one of which swamped the boat, throwing one of the crew members backwards the full length into the helmsman, causing injury and necessitating an immediate halt of the operation and a recovery of the ILB.
When the person was spotted about 30m out at sea and “at the mercy of the tidal currents,” team members immediately entered the water to save them.
The statement continued: "Within a few minutes the North team issued an immediate call on the radio to state the casualty had been spotted struggling in the waves about 30m out.
"Already equipped with water rescue personal protective equipment one of our coastguard rescue officers entered the water tethered to another to effect an immediate rescue.
"It was an extremely challenging push to reach the casualty he had to push and swim through the same waves that had just hindered the inshore lifeboat and chase the casualty, who was at the mercy of the tidal currents."
“Exhausted and having already swallowed a large amount of sea water, with a last push of energy he reached the casualty, took hold and gave the signal to be pulled back to shore.
“The line tender then had to pull both CRO and casualty back the long distance through the rough sea and when the shallows were reached, realising the casualty and rescuer were struggling to get their footing was forced to also entered the water along with another CRO to directly pull them to the safety of the beach.”
The person was taken to a waiting ambulance, and the lifeboat crew member that was injured while launching the boat was already receiving care in a second ambulance.
The three Coastguards who had entered the water suffered from water ingestion, hypothermia, exhaustion and a suspected sprained or broken ankle.
Three crew members were taken to hospital and then home, where they are recovering.
“This was an extremely challenging and technical rescue and highlights the challenges all search and rescue personnel may face,” the statement continued.
“The cherry on the cake is we get to share that experience with like-minded people, within our own team who are like family to us, and with other teams such as our flank stations, the lifeboat teams and other emergency services.
“We all draw inspiration and strength from each other. And when something extraordinary is performed such as yesterday we all get to ride on the crest of that wave together. It was a perfect example of what we can achieve together and how far we are all willing to go to perform our duty.”