Rick rescued four children and one adult after the tide cut them off on sandbanks off Cleveleys on Wednesday, August 12. Blackpool RNLI volunteers were paged by HM Coastguard at 8.31pm, launched the Atlantic 85 and moved toward the scene, but Rick was already in the water.
Blackpool RNLI at 8.31pm
A Blackpool RNLI spokesperson said volunteers were called to “one adult and four children cut off by tide on sandbanks off Cleveleys” and that the crew made for the scene after launching the Atlantic 85. The rescue became a race against the incoming tide at a shallow stretch where people can be separated from the shore before they realise the channel has closed behind them.
Rick, identified by Blackpool RNLI as Blackpool Council Beach Patrol Manager and a volunteer launch authority, was nearby when the developing scene was brought to his attention. He entered the sea and “effected the safe rescue of all four children and the adult from the deep channel.”
Rick on the sandbanks
The children were reunited with their mothers on the beach, and the RNLI volunteers were stood down as the Atlantic 85 returned to the lifeboat station. That sequence left one point clear for anyone using the shoreline: once the tide starts to move across sandbanks, distance from safety can vanish fast.
Blackpool RNLI said the incident showed “the danger of our sandbanks, with incoming tides and currents cutting off the sandbanks,” and urged people to “be aware of your surroundings, tide times and alert to the dangers.” It also said, “As in the case, minutes can matter. If you see anything of concern, do not hesitate to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”
For beachgoers, the practical step is simple: check tide times before going out and keep watching the waterline while on the sand. The rescue at Cleveleys shows the margin can shrink quickly enough that the safest response is to turn back before the route to shore disappears.
