Teenager’s thank you to RNLI after being cut off by tide on coast

A teenage boy had an emotional reunion with the lifeboat crews that saved him and his friend after they were cut off by the tide on the Somerset coast. Thirteen-year-old Tommy and his friend were exploring the area around Birnbeck Pier[1] on November 12 when they found themselves cut off by the tide as darkness was falling. Realising their predicament, the pair, who were stranded in the cold with no escape route, called 999[2] for help on their mobile phones.

Tommy, from Weston-super-Mare, said: "Me and my friend were exploring along the rocks and on our way back the tide came in on us. "It came up and up and we had to climb up higher. We were trying to think of what to do and we thought of calling 999.

"We had our phones with us so I made the 999 call. I tried to stay calm and not act too scared so they could hear me properly." Weston-super-Mare RNLI[5] volunteer crew launched its D class inshore lifeboat just after 5pm as the darkness was setting in.

They headed for the boys' last known location and were able to quickly find them on the shore, aided by the Weston-super-Mare Cliff Rescue Team who were illuminating their position from above. Meanwhile Tommy's mum Ann-Marie had received the phone call every parent[6] dreads. "'I was at home, sitting down watching the TV with the little ones. I had a phone call come in from a private number," she said.

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Click here to join our WhatsApp community.[11] " I didn't answer it at first but it called a third time so I picked up - when someone calls that many times you assume something must be quite urgent[12]. They said 'this is the police'.

My heart just sank. "I pulled my jeans on top of my pyjamas, and rushed out the door. I hurried to the seafront[13] as I wanted to get there and start searching for Tommy.

The whole way I kept ringing him and it kept cutting off. I kept thinking 'oh my god, is that it? "I got to Knightstone harbour and rang him again.

This time he answered and said 'the police are here now'. Then they told me that the lifeboat was on the way. I was relieved but also still scared as he wasn't in the lifeboat yet.

"I was so pleased they knew where he was.

We'd only had the carnival a couple of days before and the lifeboat[14] came past the house." Lifeboat helm Simon Johnson put two of his crew ashore, with lifejackets for the boys. He then carefully manoeuvred the lifeboat back into the shore, between the sets of waves, to pick up each individually, until both boys and both crew members were back onboard the lifeboat. Tommy added: "When they said they were on the way to find me, I felt quite relieved.

It was the police that found us first and then they called the RNLI. "I was very happy because I knew we were going to be saved and going to be taken to safety." Simon, volunteer RNLI helm on the D class lifeboat, said: "When we arrived the boys were completely trapped on the rocks with nowhere to go. "They had to climb up to escape the incoming tide and conditions were cold, wet and windy.

A lifeboat[15] rescue was the only way to reach them. We were able to safely get them down onto the lifeboat and the crew were very happy to unite them with some very relieved family members waiting ashore.

"Weston's fast incoming tide can easily catch people out especially in the dark, luckily the boys did the right thing by calling 999[18] as soon as they realised they were in danger, meaning we could locate them quickly, preventing them from being overcome from the tide, cold and exposure."

The boys were wrapped in survivor blankets and hoods and taken back to Knightstone Harbour where both their parents were waiting. Both boys were checked over for injuries and thankfully they were fine but cold and given warm blankets and hot drinks. Tommy and his mum made a visit back to the lifeboat[19] station this week to meet the crews and thank them for saving their lives.

Ann-Marie said: "The area around Knightstone was full of cars and lifesavers who were looking for Tommy. I was in awe because they had all probably been in their family homes having their dinner and left their loved ones to look for him. 'I was shaking when they returned to the station[20].

I was desperate to get to him. Before they'd even got the towel off him, I was over to hold him. He had a big smile because he'd enjoyed the boat ride.

'I just think it's amazing what the crews do. They don't get paid, they do this off their own backs to help people. I want to say a massive thank you again to the crew.

Without them, that phone call could have been very different.' Chris Ware, volunteer RNLI lifeboat operations manager at Weston-super-Mare[23] said: "The boys are extremely lucky, they did exactly the right thing to call for help when they did. "There was another hour of tide to come in and the very real danger that they would have been in the water, exposed to the cold, in the dark, a really dangerous place to be.

"There is no doubt that the quick response and skilled professionalism that our volunteer crew were able to put into practice saved their lives.

We were so happy to be able to reunite them with their parents."

References

1. ^ Birnbeck Pier (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
2. ^ 999 (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
3. ^ 'Concorde' to take to skies of Somerset for first time in 20 years (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
4. ^ Major changes recommended for controversial Somerset seafront parking scheme (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
5. ^ RNLI (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
6. ^ parent (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
7. ^ Somerset Live (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
8. ^ click this link and select 'Join Community'. (chat.whatsapp.com)
9. ^ Somerset Live (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
10. ^ Privacy Notice. (www.reachplc.com)
11. ^ Click here to join our WhatsApp community. (chat.whatsapp.com)
12. ^ urgent (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
13. ^ seafront (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
14. ^ lifeboat (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
15. ^ lifeboat (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
16. ^ Plan for 'state of the art' office campus on swathes of Somerset green belt (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
17. ^ Changes planned to congested Somerset crossroads on busy commuter route (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
18. ^ 999 (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
19. ^ lifeboat (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
20. ^ station (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
21. ^ Ten Papa Johns in South West on verge of going bust (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
22. ^ Traffic to be banned outside Somerset schools - to make pupils walk to class (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
23. ^ Weston-super-Mare (www.somersetlive.co.uk)