IT HAS been yet another busy summer for Bude’s RNLI lifeguards.

With the summer holidays over and the nights beginning to draw in, the lifeguard season is slowly coming to a close. The lifeguard service on Northcott and Crackington beaches have now come to an end.

This year’s August bank holiday weekend — and Bude Lifeboat Day — saw one of the busiest weekends to date.

Widemouth lifeguards Richie and Ben launched the IRB (inshore rescue boat) to rescue a bodyboarder out of their depth and drifting onto the rocks. At the same time, first year lifeguard Rhys carried out a board rescue assisting an elderly lady out of her depth safely back to the beach.

Lifeguard Lewis was on duty at Blackrock when he noticed a person struggling to swim back to the shore. Lewis paddled out to them and brought them back to the beach.

Summerleaze lifeguard Jack rescued two young children who were in the water unsupervised and were being taken out to sea in the rip current. This rescue was classed as a life saved — if Jack had not rescued them when he had, the outcome could have been catastrophic.

Crackington lifeguards Ella and Steve were called to assist three walkers who had been cut off by the tide 500m north of Crackington beach. Ella raised the alarm to the coastguard cliff rescue team before paddling to them on a rescue board. Once all first aid checks had been done, it was decided that the safest way to get the walkers back to the safety of the beach was by lifeboat.

Bude Lifeboat were paged and three crew members — Liam, James and Dan — came in the D class lifeboat, assisting the walkers onto the boat and then dropping them safely back to the beach.

Crooklets, Sandymouth and Blackrock beaches were lifeguarded full time until Sunday, September 30 with Summerleaze and Widemouth beaches also lifeguarded full time until the end of September, then weekends throughout October with additional patrols running throughout half term week. The last day on Summerleaze and Widemouth will be on Sunday, October 28.

A spokesperson for the Bude lifeguards team said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the local businesses throughout the town who have supported the RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign this summer, Bude Surf Life Saving Club members for their voluntary beach patrols on Summerleaze and Crooklets through the weekends of June, July and August, Bude HRM Coastguard and Bude Lifeboat crew for their support and backup during joint exercises and rescues over the summer.”