Busy afternoon for Southend’s RNLI lifeboat crew

Southend ‘s lifeboat crew had a busy afternoon preventing people from getting into danger on the seafront today.

The volunteer crew were on duty at the pier head boathouse this sunny Saturday when at 14.30hrs they became aware of two lads in danger of being cut off by the incoming tide.

The inshore lifeboat was launched to go out to the two boys, who were half a mile from shore 300 yards East of the Pier. The lads were picked up and ferried inshore as far as the state of tide would allow. They were then escorted to the beach by a crew member on foot and given safety advice.

The lifeboat was then asked by Thames Coastguard to go out to two teenage girls who were West of the Pier. They were in danger of being cut off by the tide and were struggling to get ashore over the shellfish beds.

The girls were taken aboard the lifeboat and taken to the inshore boat house where they were given first aid for cut feet.

The RNLI lifeboat was relaunched to a swimmer who was spotted by lifeboat crew from the shore and was swimming out to deeper water. After being given advice, the swimmer was happy to swim back to shallower water themselves.

Finally, the lifeboat was called out for the fourth job of the afternoon to four teenagers who were trying to board two fishing boats East of the Pier as they were unable to cross the shellfish beds. The four young people were taken ashore, given safety advice and treated for cuts to their feet by lifeboat crew.