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More than 100 people rescued from north Wales beach

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More than 100 people were rescued along a stretch of north Wales coastline on what was a very busy day for HM Coastguard. On Saturday, 9 September, the hottest day of the year so far, the Coastguard was alerted to reports that 25 people were cut off by the tide in Rhyl.    When assets arrived at the scene to help those stranded however, the urgency of the incident had escalated. Around 120 beachgoers were trapped on sandbanks.    With gullies formed and no way back to the shore on foot, it was up to HM Coastguard and the RNLI to get everyone back to safety as quickly as possible.   At the scene just after 4pm, Rhyl and Flint Coastguard Rescue Teams and an inshore lifeboat from Rhyl RNLI were ready to help with the challenging operation, alongside North Wales Police.   The inshore lifeboat recovered everyone to safety before the sandbanks were submerged by water. No medical assistance was required .   Coastal Operations Area Commander Mike Buratti said: “Saturday was a very busy day f
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Rising tide sets clock ticking for pair trapped in mud

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Antony Gormley sculptures at Crosby beach Members of the public were praised for dialling 999 when a rising tide set the clock ticking for two people stuck in mud. The emergency started when a man and a woman got into difficulty together on the beach at Crosby, Merseyside - famous for its cast iron sculptures by artist Antony Gormley. The man was able to extricate himself, but the woman sank even deeper until she was trapped up to her waist. With the water coming in and time running out, the situation triggered a big response including mud technicians from Crosby and Wirral Coastguard Rescue Teams (CRTs) and the RNLI’s hovercraft from Hoylake. Working with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the CRTs freed the woman after about 45 minutes. When the alarm was raised at about 10.55am the water was about a mile off. By the time she was out, the fast-flowing tide was just 200 metres away. The surface at Crosby beach can be deceptive The pair were walked safe and well back to shore by Crosb
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Missing children spark string of searches at Exmouth

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Exmouth beach in Devon Safety advice has been underlined after Coastguards were called out to help find missing children in the same area three times in just over an hour.   In total, nine youngsters were retrieved on the coast near Exmouth during the afternoon of Monday 4 September, as the summer holidays came to a close.  The string of incidents prompted Drew Parkinson, local Coastal Operations Area Commander, to suggest measures parents and guardians can take to be spared such scary moments.  He said: “Keeping an eye on your children is obviously the best way to stop them wandering off into difficult situations, but we understand sometimes that can be a challenge!  “Busy beaches can be disorientating, especially to little ones, so it’s good to have a few Plan Bs up your sleeve, like having a photo of your child to help searches and agreeing a meeting point if they get lost. Some places even give away free kids’ wristbands to write your phone number.”  The first alarm for HM Coastgua
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Paddleboarder found after seven-hour search shares his story

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A father and son who went missing while paddleboarding sparked a seven-hour multi-agency search off the Dorset coast this summer .     Now Tomasz Oleksik is sharing his experience , urging other paddleboarders to prepare for their time on the water and be aware of the risks.   At the beginning of July Tomasz, his wife Lucy and their 16-year-old son went on holiday, and the father and son planned to paddleboard   from Studland Bay to Old Harry Rocks.   Only a short while into their paddleboarding rout e, the weather took a turn and the pair was separated at sea.   As Lucy waited worried at the s hore she was a dvised to call the Coastguard, and a search and rescue mission was launched.   Coordinated by HM Coastguard, this involved five Coastguard Rescue Teams, seven RNLI lifeboats and two Coastguard helicopters, alongside the National Police Air Service helicopter, Dorset Police and S outh Western Ambulance Service.   Looking back at the ordeal, Tomasz said: “The weather was perfec
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