RNLI hovercraft at Morecambe, Lancashire
After a fast training run in Morecambe Bay the RNLI hovercraft returns to its base at the lifeboat station on the seafront.
The first RNLI rescue hovercraft was placed on service in 2002 and Morecambe is now one of only four stations operating a hovercraft alongside conventional lifeboats. They operate on large areas of tidal mudflats or sand where the surface is too soft to support land vehicles and where the water is too shallow for boats.
Each year, these areas see a number of incidents where people are caught out by the rising tide or trapped in quicksand or soft mud. Unless help is provided rapidly, such situations often result in tragedy.
RNLI hovercraft at Morecambe, Lancashire
After a fast training run in Morecambe Bay the RNLI hovercraft returns to its base at the lifeboat station on the seafront.
The first RNLI rescue hovercraft was placed on service in 2002 and Morecambe is now one of only four stations operating a hovercraft alongside conventional lifeboats. They operate on large areas of tidal mudflats or sand where the surface is too soft to support land vehicles and where the water is too shallow for boats.
Each year, these areas see a number of incidents where people are caught out by the rising tide or trapped in quicksand or soft mud. Unless help is provided rapidly, such situations often result in tragedy.