It was a busy day on Sunday 24 May for Rye Harbour RNLI station.
Its first shout was at 09.11am for an incident in the River Rother.
Later in the afternoon there was a second shout for a missing child at Camber. With Luke Bishop as helm and Lucy Green, Emma Stonham and Rob Jennings as crew, the boat conducted a shoreline search and nothing was found.
Luke commented, “Camber Sands was naturally very busy over the bank holiday weekend and at 4.10pm we were tasked to assist in the search for an eight-year-old child. The crew assembled quickly and the lifeboat was launched just 13 minutes after the pagers went off. Working alongside the lifeguard team at Camber and the Rye Bay Coastguards we conducted a shoreline search eastward to Broomhill Sands before reversing our search westwards. We received the good news that the chid had been located and we were stood down. Great teamwork from RNLI Rye Harbour and our RNLI Lifeguard colleagues.”
Mark Stephenson, Lifeboat Operations Manager, commented, “I cannot say how proud I am of all the crew at our station. They responded quickly and efficiently to two very different shouts and were a credit to themselves and the whole station”.
Key safety advice for Camber Sands:
Get a wristband: Approach the RNLI lifeguards or beach patrol on arrival to request a free wristband. Write your phone number on it so your child can be quickly reunited with you if they wander off.
Swim between the flags: The sand can be deceptive, and Camber is known for dangerous tides and currents. Always set up your base where you can see the flags, and only swim or paddle between the red and yellow flags, which are directly patrolled by lifeguards.
Watch the tides: Tides at Camber can come in rapidly and cut off sandbars. Always check tide times before you go and set a phone alarm to track when it is time to head back up the beach.
Stay on the dry sand: If you have younger children, the RNLI and local beach patrols advise keeping them higher up the beach on dry sand and dunes, where it is easier to play.
Float to live: If you or your children fall into difficulty in the water, teach them to “Float to live”: fight the instinct to thrash around, lean back, and extend arms and legs to float until help arrives.
Emergency action: If you see anyone in trouble in the water, do not attempt to rescue them yourself. Notify a lifeguard immediately or dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .