Manic week for coastguard and RNLI volunteers around Weston
Members of Clevedon and Weston Coastguard keeping a close eye on beachgoers perilously close to the treacherous low tide mud at Sand Bay. Picture: Weston Coastguard - Credit: Weston Coastguard
A busy weekend has topped a busy week for the coastguard and RNLI volunteers around Weston as visitors flocked to the area.
By Saturday, May 30 Weston Coastguard had been to and co-ordinated 11 jobs in seven days and the first day of the weekend was to bring another two patrols and two callouts.
Weston RNLI was launched Saturday lunchtime to an inflatable dinghy with two males onboard drifting in Sand Bay.
They refused any assistance and said they’d ‘let the tide take them’ into Weston beach. The RNLI said its advice was not to use inflatables on the sea, to wear life jackets and to avoid drinking alcohol when entering the water.
Meanwhile Weston Coastguard spent most of the day keeping an eye on people following the tide out and into the treacherous low water mud.
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A spokesman said: “While it was like a scene from the zombie apocalypse due to them being head-to-toe-in mud, no one caused a massive concern and all made their way safely back in.”
Then the call came in of a family in the mud at Sand Bay. Clevedon Coastguard were called plus assistance was requested from BARB, the Burnham Area Rescue Boat hovercraft.
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Five coastguard technicians were dressed in full mud gear and made their way to the scene while waiting for BARB to arrive as they had to launch from Weston beach.
The family were intercepted and after a medical check were deemed to be fine but exhausted from the heat.
If you spot anyone in difficulty at the coast, call 999 and ask for the coastguard. They would rather receive multiple calls than one, so don’t hesitate.
