Bay rescue issue tide warning after helping woman with dislocated knee at Lancaster village

Bay Search & Rescue were completing a patrol around the coastline from Arnside to Silverdale and Grange when they were contacted by the Coastguard team at Holyhead to alert them of a woman who had slipped and fallen, resulting in the dislocation of her knee, near the sailing club in Arnside.

The team’s Sherp vehicle and its highly trained crew Paul and Josh attended the scene and worked with Arnside & South Lakes Coastguard Rescue Team to get the woman into the Sherp and back to safety at The Bob-In Cafe, where she received treatment from working partners and another of Cumbria’s charities, the Beep Doctors, who administered pain relief and managed to get the dislocated knee back into position.

A BSAR spokesman said: “Dislocated knees besides being excruciatingly painful also carry the risk of compromising the blood supply to the lower limb, and in extreme cases if left untreated can result in amputation.

"Chris [from Beep Doctors] did an amazing job today as did all the teams involved and following a check over by the ambulances service the lady was discharged and left to return home.”

The spokesman went on to add a warning to beachgoers.

“I’d like at this point just to point out to all the people who DIDN’T check to see when the tide was due today and lay out their picnic blankets on the sands of Silverdale whilst the tide is pushing in silently around them that one day our amazing Coastguard teams and crews from BSAR will be treating a genuine emergency and won’t be available to save you from being engulfed by the tide,” the spokesman said.

"I find it tremendously frustrating when my crews return from patrol and tell me that they were met by a frosty reception after giving polite factual safety advise to people who continue to take their children across a flooding gully as the tide chases in and it makes me think that “as some of our followers remind us constantly“ we are not all blessed with common sense.

“My crews will always treat everyone with respect, but if you ignore their expert advise, and also ignore our live tide signs giving you for the very first time around our coastline an opportunity to do a last minute check of the incoming tide before walking out, then there’s not a lot more we can do.

"So let’s be safe on the sands people, you wouldn’t cross a busy road without checking to see if there were any cars coming so treat the bay the same – check the signs, make sure the tide’s not coming in and be safe.

“Remember do not hesitate if you see someone you think is at risk or in trouble on our coastline dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard they will send a trained team to help you.”

Bay Search & Rescue are a volunteer team and charity based in Flookburgh since 1999.