Following a 999 call from a member of the public, Wells Inshore Lifeboat was paged to assist a person who was reported to be drifting out to sea on an inflatable and getting into significant difficulties 300 metres off the beach. The ILB launched at 13:46 outside the boathouse on the ebbing tide and proceeded to the reported position along Holkham beach. The person in distress had in the meantime abandoned the inflatable and had managed to swim back to the shore. The ILB arrived on scene at 13:50 and, despite a search of the area, was unable to locate the individual concerned. The lifeboat was then tasked to a yacht reportedly off Wells which had become entangled in a lobster pot. Arriving on-scene, it was established that the position given was incorrect and the casualty vessel was actually located off Cromer. The ILB was stood down at 14:35 and was rehoused and ready again for service at 15:00.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind S3 Sea Slight

Wells inshore lifeboat was paged for an immediate launch by the Coastguard to assist a man who was in distress off Wells beach as temperatures soared. The man was a non-swimmer in a rubber inflatable ring and had got into difficulties as he was swept offshore. Three passers-by were alerted to his situation and two of them tried to help but they were unable to bring him to the beach because of the strong offshore wind. The ILB launched at 2.24pm and arrived on scene at 2.32pm to find that all on scene were accounted for. The man in distress was landed onto the beach. He had dislocated his shoulder, was suffering from heatstroke and was severely dehydrated. Essential casualty care was carried out by the lifeboat crew as the man drifted in and out of consciousness. He was exhausted and suffering from the ingestion of sea water. Medical assistance was requested, and the casualty was subsequently sick and started to feel a little better.

The station Softrack launch and recovery vehicle, together with more crew, a stretcher and oxygen, left the Boathouse at 2.45pm to join the ILB on the beach. The Softrac was on scene at 3.12pm and recovered the lifeboat onto its trailer. The casualty, who was still receiving medical attention, was then placed on a stretcher in the inshore lifeboat. The Softrack and lifeboat proceeded back across the beach to the new boathouse as the new building was much cooler insider than the lifeboat station. The casualty was transferred to the cooler confines of the crew changing room, where the lifeboat crew and a local paramedic continued casualty care and first aid. An ambulance arrived at 4.15pm with the casualty starting to respond positively. The decision was made to take the person to the hospital for further assessment and treatment. The inshore lifeboat was stood down and returned to station. It was rehoused refuelled, and ready again for service at 4.20pm.

Weather Fine/Very hot Visibility Good Wind Light airs Sea Smooth

The inshore lifeboat was paged for an immediate launch for three persons in difficulty on Holkham beach. The persons were reported to have made it safely ashore as the crew were arriving at station and the launch was cancelled.

Wells Inshore Lifeboat was paged for a third time in a day to conduct a shoreline search for a missing man who had not returned to his car at the Beach Road car park after having been out walking with another person from whom they had become separated. The ILB launched at 22:46 outside the boathouse with a crew of 3 and commenced a search in conjunction with the local Coastguard team. A crew member from Wells also joined the land-based search with the coastguards equipped with the station's thermal imaging equipment. The ILB conducted a search of the area between Wells and Holkham and was returning eastward for another pass when at 23:21 the missing person was returned to the Beach Road car park courtesy of the landlord of a local hostelry. The lifeboat was stood down at 23:22 and returned to station and was again washed down, refuelled and rehoused just before midnight.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight

The inshore lifeboat was requested by Humber Coastguard to help search for a missing 12 year old autistic child last seen near the Golf Club at Brancaster beach. The ILB left the boathouse at 18:18 for a low water launch off Holkham beach and proceeded towards Brancaster. At 18:42 the ILB began a shoreline search off Scolt Head Island as it proceeded west towards Brancaster beach and harbour entrance. At 18:53, a child fitting the description was seen alone on the shore on Scolt Head Island and a member of the crew was put ashore to meet with them. Speaking to the child, it was quickly clear that he was likely to be the missing person and, despite communication difficulties, the crewman was able to calm the child and strike up a rapport and was able to gently persuade him to walk back with him west along the shore towards Brancaster beach, while the ILB shadowed them at a distance, keeping visual and radio contact. It subsequently emerged that as well as being autistic, the child could not understand English.

The pair reached the Brancaster channel at 19:15 but because the tide was now flooding in, it had become impassable on foot. Because the child had difficulty understanding the situation, the ILB collected the child's father from Brancaster beach and transported him across the channel to assist in getting the child into the boat. With father's help, the child was taken on-board and returned to the beach where his mother was waiting at 19:47. The ILB departed at 19:52 and was washed down, refuelled and rehoused by 20:50.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight

Humber Coastguard tasked Wells inshore lifeboat to help search for an elderly man who had last been seen on the evening of Thursday 14th when he had launched his small white and blue dinghy at Blakeney quay. The information was that the man would most likely be somewhere nearby in among the creeks and marsh, camping on his boat and that he was not likely to have gone out to sea. The ILB launched outside the boathouse at 10:15 and proceeded first to Stiffkey freshes off the Blakeney channel; locally received information indicated that the man often camped there. At 10:39 the ILB searched the freshes in conjunction with a coastguard unit but nothing was found. At 10:49 hrs the ILB moved to search in Blakeney Pit and then towards Blakeney harbour. By 11:33 the ILB had searched up to the approach to Blakeney cut and back along the northern side of the pit to seaward. The ILB was then stood down due the ebbing tide and preceded back towards the lifeboat house. In addition to the ILB the search involved several coastguard teams, the Police and a Police drone. An Air Sea Rescue helicopter had also been tasked but had not yet arrived on scene. At 11:56 the ILB was brought ashore, refuelled and rehoused by 12:20. The missing man and dinghy were subsequently located safe and well camped out in a creek to the west.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight

Wells Lifeboat was paged to assist a 10m fishing vessel Kazmar with two persons on-board which had got into difficulties wth engine problems in shallow water near Wells while on passage from Brightlingsea to Grimsby. As the crew mustered, the boathouse contacted the vessel by VHF which reported it was now aground with the tide ebbing away. With no chance of the all-weather lifeboat refloating the fishing boat until the next flood tide, it was decided to launch the inshore lifeboat to assess the situation.

The ILB launched at 22:52 and proceeded towards the vessel's reported position in Holkham Bay but it became evident that the vessel was actually to the east of Wells. The ILB located the vessel at 23:18, finding it currently safe but hard aground on sands north of Stiffkey. The lifeboat crew ran out the vessel's anchor to seaward and made up a towing bridle in preparation for refloating the vessel on the flood tide at first light using the all-weather lifeboat. With all prepared, the ILB returned for a low water recovery on Holkham beach and was rehoused by 01:00.

Crews for both lifeboats mustered again at 03:00 on 14th. The ALB left the boathouse at 03:15 to launch off Holkham Beach at 03:50. The Inshore Lifeboat launched on the first of the flood outside the boathouse 03:55. Both boats arrived on-scene at 04:10 where the Kazmar was already beginning to lift as the tide made its way up the beach. The ILB managed to attach a tow and, with little swell and favourable conditions, was able to pull the fishing boat stern first into deeper water while a crew member put on-board buoyed her anchor and cable. The all-weather lifeboat was then able to take over the tow. The ILB departed at 04:25 while the all-weather lifeboat, with the fishing boat in tow, headed slowly back towards Wells while the tide made sufficiently to enter the harbour. The pair came over the bar at 05:10 where the fishing boat was transferred alongside the lifeboat prior to being safely moored in the outer harbour at 05:30. The lifeboats were recovered and rehoused by 06:30.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind NW2 Sea Slight

The inshore lifeboat was paged following a report of a missing person, a 64 year old male with medical issues who was staying on his yacht Nareid in Brancaster harbour. His family had raised concerns that they had been unable to contact him. Hunstanton lifeboat had already been launched to assist but there was insufficient tide left on the ebb for the lifeboat to enter the harbour. Wells ILB with a crew of four launched from the boathouse at 01:04 and was off Brancaster by 01:30. The lifeboat picked its way in late on the ebbing tide and by 02:30 was well inside the harbour but still unable to reach the area where it was thought the yacht was moored. The search was then switched to the local coastguard who by now were able to walk out into the moorings. The ILB was stood down at 03:10 and set off for a low water recovery on Holkham beach. At 03:30 the coastguard located the man safe on-board his yacht. The ILB was ashore at 03:35 and rehoused by 04:40.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind W2 Sea Slight

The inshore lifeboat was paged to assist a group of 3 persons and 2 dogs cut off by the incoming tide on the high sand to the west of Wells harbour entrance. The ILB launched at 16:21 outside the boathouse and was on scene at 18:25, the people and dogs being visible from the boathouse. The lifeboat ascertained that they were all well and ferried them to the boathouse at 18:42. With the party safely ashore, the ILB was rehoused and refuelled and back ready for service by 19:00.

While this launch was taking place 2 other people in the vicinity waded back to the safety at times chest high in the water. While many are tempted to walk along the foreshore from Holkham beach (or down the side of the harbour channel) at low water, the sands out by the harbour entrance currently get cut off quickly by the incoming tide which fills lower ground out of sight and behind walkers before this bit of beach starts to get covered. Visitors in this area should take care to return to the main beach as soon as the tide begins to run into the harbour (roughly 4 hours before high water) or when the beach siren sounds. See our updated safety map for more information.

Weather Fine Visibility Good Wind NW3 Sea Slight