RNLI urges Lancashire residents to check tide times before heading to beaches
It comes as a family from Fleetwood were dramatically saved by Lifeboat crews
A family who were 'dramatically saved' by the RNLI in Fleetwood has said they wouldn't have survived without them
Yvonne and her family were visiting Fleetwood beach for the first time with a large group including her daughter, her daughter’s boyfriend and his little brother and their dogs. They had previously checked the tide times, but they weren’t aware that high tide times were different to low tide times.
Yvonne said: ‘Suddenly, the water was getting towards waist height. My partner, who had just had a shoulder replacement, got separated from us and was stood on a sand embankment. Within two minutes, all the sand was gone.
"We started getting separated and further away from each other which was making my daughter panic, it was terrifying. Then we saw the lifeboat, I told everyone to stay calm and tread water whilst the crew came to rescue us.
"I’ve since been back to thank the crew with some cakes. If they hadn’t come out, I don’t think it would have been the outcome we ended up with.
"The water was so fast. I don’t think we would have survived."
We've been speaking with David Devereux, who is a member of the RNLI for Fleetwood, and was a part of the team that rescued Yvonne and her family.
"We were at St. Nicholas' Church in Fleetwood, and has just came out of a service celebrating 200 years of the RNLI. I saw the boss go and take a phone call and it was from the coastguard.
"We were at the station a couple of minutes later, and in the smartest way ever launched the boat. Shirts, shoes polished everything!
David went on to speak about how the people of Lancashire can keep themselves safe when thinking of going to the beach during the warm Easter Holidays
"The tides around here can move very quickly. Something to bare in mind around Morecombe bay is the tide moves at three times the walking pace. So you think you are getting away from it and you are not.
The RNLI is urging people to use a trusted online source such as the Met Office before setting off on a trip. Coastal visitors should be aware the water may change quickly and very differently to what may be expected. The tide comes in and out twice in each 24-hour period, and while tide times can be accurately predicted, they vary at each location and change each day. This is as important for coastal walkers to be aware of as it is for beach goers.