SHOCKING new figures by the RNLI have revealed how many people they save from the water each summer.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Her Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard are calling for families to take care at the coast during the school holidays, as new figures released show RNLI lifeguards saved the lives of 54 children and teenagers last summer.

Of those lives saved, 64 per cent (35) were aged 12 or under, while RNLI lifeguards also came to the aid of another 12,344 under-18s between June and September 2020.

Now, the RNLI and Coastguard are urging families with children to take care at the beach when the weather is hot this summer.
They are reminding families to be aware of the risks and have launched a new animated tv advert to help young children understand how to stay safe at the coast.

Read more: North East to be hit with mini-heatwave TODAY - and more expected this week

The RNLI sees a big increase in the number of incidents in the sea involving children and teenagers during the school summer holidays and urges everyone – but families in particular – to be aware of the risks and know what to do in an emergency.

Here's what the RNLI has to say

Nick Ayers outlines the RNLI’s main safety advice: “Always visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.

"RNLI lifeguards will be patrolling around 245 beaches this summer to offer advice on how to stay safe and they are also there to help anyone who gets into trouble.
“Children should be supervised at all times and people of all ages should avoid swimming alone.
We want people to enjoy the coast but urge everyone to respect the water, think about their own safety and know what to do in an emergency.”

The RNLI has published some key summer safety advice

- Visit a lifeguarded beach & swim between the red and yellow flags

- If you get into trouble Float to Live – lie on your back and relax, resisting the urge to thrash about

- Call 999 in an emergency and ask for the Coastguard

Claire Hughes, Director of HM Coastguard, said: “The coastal emergency services have already seen an increase in 999 calls this summer and expect to be even busier during the school holidays.
“Last year we had our busiest-ever summer on record, with 13,493 incidents from the start of June to the end of August.
“And, despite the variable weather this June, we responded to 3,981 incidents - up from 3,536 in June 2020 - so we’re expecting it to be another busy season.
“We want everyone to enjoy the summer around our coasts and take home only happy memories. The sea can be dangerous, so we’d ask everyone to help the emergency services by taking safety seriously.
“If you do see someone in trouble, don’t delay, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard and we’ll send our teams and emergency services partners to help, day and night.”

--

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054