Four rescuers were also injured due to the strong winds and dangerous waves
19:23, 06 Jul 2025Updated 19:50, 06 Jul 2025
Emergency vehicles during the rescue(Image: HM Coastguard Fleetwood)
A major rescue mission was launched after reports of a person being swept 30 metres out to sea and ‘struggling with the waves’ in Blackpool.
The HM Coastguard along with police and paramedics raced to the scene close to the Central Pier during the early hours of Friday (July 4) following reports of someone in difficulty in the water.
During the rescue, four members of the rescue team were also injured. A helicopter was dispatched after a ‘big wave’ hit a boat and threw one of the crew members backwards.
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Within minutes of the search, a crew member saw a member of the public ‘struggling with the waves’ around 30 metres out at sea and was ‘at the mercy of the tidal currents’, the coastguard said.
“It was windy with significant and strong waves,” a statement issued today by the coastguard said.
“We’d had a report of a possible sighting just off Central Pier so the Blackpool ILB launched and we sent rescuers from our team and Lytham down to the surfline to support.
“It was an extremely challenging launch for the boat crew and the boat got hit by several big waves, one of which swamped the boat throwing one of the crew members backwards the full length into the helmsman causing injury and requiring an immediate abort of the operation and a recovery of the ILB.
Four rescuers were also injured due to the strong winds and dangerous waves(Image: HM Coastguard Fleetwood)
“One team of Coastguards on the beach continued to search South and another searched North. Within a few minutes the North team issued an immediate call on the radio to state the casualty had been spotted struggling in the waves about 30m out.
“Already equipped with water rescue personal protective equipment one of our coastguard rescue officers entered the water tethered to another to effect an immediate rescue.
“It was an extremely challenging push to reach the casualty he had to push and swim through the same waves that had just hindered the inshore lifeboat and chase the casualty, who was at the mercy of the tidal currents.”
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The casualty was later dragged back to the shore with the support of rescue teams and transferred to the care of paramedics at the scene.
Pictures from the scene showed a number of emergency services vehicles parked up on the shore including ambulances and coastguard vehicles.
The statement continued: “The injured lifeboat crewmember was already receiving care in another ambulance. The three Coastguards who had entered the water were suffering from water ingestion, mild hypothermia, exhaustion and one suspected sprained/broken ankle.
“They were taken into the boathouse to recover and receive assessment from paramedics. It was determined that two would need to go to hospital, as well as the lifeboat crewman, for further assessment.”