Woman is killed in jet-ski crash while a child is found 300m from shore as Coastguard callouts hit record level
- A woman died in a jet ski crash in the Menai Bridge are of Anglesey, North Wales
- Meanwhile a young child was rescyed after drifting away from shore in Southend
- Coastguad rescue was called out to more than 340 incidents on Saturday
A woman has died in a jet ski crash in the Menai Bridge area of Anglesey, North Wales, while a young child had to be rescued after drifting 300metres away from shore in Southend, as coastguard rescue call-outs surged to record levels during a British heatwave.
In a separate incident, a six-year-old child was swept out to sea off the Alderney Coast in the Channel Islands and had to be rescued by two teenagers.
The youngster rescued in Southend from a dinghy was then taken off by air ambulance suffering from hypothermia.
An air ambulance was forced to land metres from Southend seafront after a young child in an unmanned dinghy drifted 300m from shore
Overall, coastguard rescue reported more than 340 incidents on Saturday – the highest amount of callouts received in four years.
Coastguard Rescue Teams attended 221 incidents, while both RNLI and independent lifeboats were called out on 155 occasions combined. Supporting aircraft also attended at 30 incidents.
HM Coastguard received a staggering 186, 999 calls yesterday and coordinated search and rescue responses to a wide-range of incidents, which included people being cut off by the tide and children swept out to sea on inflatables.
It was the highest amount of callouts recorded in four years, as well as a 145 per cent increase compared to last August.
Saturday’s numbers shattered the recent record set on Friday, 31 July, when coastguard rescue attended 329 incidents.
HM Coastguard Deputy Head of Coastal Operations Richard Hackwell said: ‘We have seen a big rise in incident numbers this weekend as more people visit coastal areas and head to the beach.
‘We understand that people want to have fun at the coast and enjoy the heatwave, but we urge everyone to respect the sea and take responsibility in helping to ensure the safety of themselves, friends and family.
‘We’re heading into a period of more good weather so we want to remind you to check and double check tide times as even the most experienced swimmer or keen watersports enthusiast can get caught out by currents and tides.
‘Plan your day out, always exercise caution and make sure you have a way of contacting us if you get into trouble.’
He added: ‘As our latest statistics show, we’ll always respond when someone calls 999 and asks for the Coastguard, but help us to help you by not making choices which could put yourself and others at risk.
‘Every time our frontline teams respond – as they always do and always will – please don’t forget that they’re also put at risk too.
‘Take extra care at the coast today and over the coming days. We don’t want you to remember your day-out for all the wrong reasons.’