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BBC lifeboat rescuer says 'manic' heatwave saw 14 callouts in one day for same problem

The new series of Saving Lives At Sea shows how a lifeboat crew in Porthcawl, Wales were called out multiple times which caused chaos

[Chris Missen and his RNLI team in Porthcawl have had a very busy summer]

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Chris Missen and his RNLI team in Porthcawl have had a very busy summer(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Blast Films/Olly Rose)

A RNLI lifeboat volunteer who appears in the BBCs new Saving Lives at Sea series has told how difficult this summer has been because of the endless heatwaves.

Chris Missen, from the Porthcawl RNLI, says the hot weather meant his crew were called out 14 times in one day to save paddle boarders who were being blown out to sea by strong winds.

Some of them had like six or seven young lads on them, and it was just chaos. I think the only way to describe it is is manic, he told the Mirror. This summer definitely stands out as one of the most challenging.

He has advice for people wanting to have a go at paddle-boarding. Our advice would be just always go to a lifeguarded beach, get some advice off a lifeguard, and if they say don't go, don't go.

[Porthcawl lifeboat]

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As fast as the Porthcawl lifeboat was brining back paddle-boarders, more were going out(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Blast Films/Stephen Duncombe)

I think a lot of people are buying them from the middle aisle of Aldi, for example. and then, with with no prior knowledge or experience, are just setting off into the sunset.

As we were bringing paddle boarders back, there were people coming past us and we were saying - guys, were going to be coming back and you need to apply a little bit of common sense. We dont really get annoyed but it can be frustrating."

Chris, who is also a police officer and runs a chip shop, said the heat posed its own problems for the rescuers. It's lovely to see that the seaside towns are thriving and the beaches are full of people but it comes with its own challenges for us. The lifeboat crew are in the same heat as as those people enjoying it - except we're in dry suits and life jackets, so it's it becomes very, very warm for us.

[Chris Missen]

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Chris says that wearing the dry suit and safety vest in a heatwave can be extremely uncomfortable for the crew(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Blast Films/Olly Rose)

He said the endless sunshine had also brought an increase in the number of missing children on packed beaches. His advice to parents is to be super-vigilant. Its easy to say, but don't let them out of your sight if they're anywhere near the water's edge. They need to be 100% at the forefront of your attention.

Another key message this summer is for people to tell others their plans when it comes to taking a dip. Make sure that you tell somebody you're going, where you're going, and when you're expected to be back - so that if you don't return, the alarm can be raised.

Chris stressed that those on the shore should not attempt any rescues themselves. Its the most natural thing in the world to want to save your loved one but if you are the person that's staying on the shore that doesn't mean you are the rescuer, that means you are the alerter. If you're going in the water to rescue someone, you're very, very likely to end up in a similar predicament to them, so always always raise the alarm and stay in eye contact with the person in difficulty. Early recognition is key to a successful outcome.

[The programme features life boats on rescues all over the country, like this one in St Ives, Cornwall]

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The programme features life boats on rescues all over the country, like this one in St Ives, Cornwall(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Blast Films/Nigel Millard/RNLI)

The hit BBC2 series, returning for its 11th run, is packed with terrifying ordeals including a dad trying to save his kids when they were swept away in a dinghy, a major incident involving a small boat in the middle of the English Channel - with mass casualties - and an unconscious sailor whose young daughters are steering a runaway yacht.

In the first episode Chris and his team can be seen struggling with a particularly difficult rescue - because they all know the person who needs saving. So the information was that a fishing vessel had run aground on a beach with no one on it, Chris told The Mirror. And further information came through from the actual fisherman, who confirmed that hed been dragged overboard by a fishing line and was now miles and miles out in the Bristol Channel with no reference points. It was literally days before Christmas, the water was very cold.

Then as we launched, we got given the vessel's name and it was at that point we learned who the casualty was going to be, and that it was Alex, someone we all knew. He is a fairly prominent character in our community - one of the lifeboat crew that was with me on the day was one of his best friends and we knew he had a young family. There's a weight of responsibility you have as a lifeboatman when you're tasked to go and save someone, but that weight seems tenfold when you know that person, and you know that you're going to have to face that family.

Thankfully, the fisherman was found in the nick of time, clinging to a buoy. He was incredibly grateful and so relieved. But at the same time, the coolest cucumber you could come across," Chris explained. "He was like, Cheers, guys. Right, where's my boat? Alex had mild onset hypothermia but he's a a roughty, toughty fisherman and it took some convincing, shall we say, to get him to have medical checks and make sure that he was really OK.

We get lots of shout outs and there's a few that stand out in your lifeboat career - this is definitely one of them for me."

Saving Lives at Sea, BBC2, Tuesday 8pm

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