Kite-surfers hit by sudden squall Members of the Littlehampton inshore lifeboat crew were called into action in September 2003 when a group of kitesurfers were suddenly swept across the beach and out to sea by strong offshore windsThe alarm was raised by Bev Miller, a local teacher and seasoned windsurfer, at West Worthing. She had finished windsurfing for the day herself and had come ashore just before the wind shifted direction and increased dramatically. Mindful of the kitesurfers whom she had seen earlier on the water she returned to the water's edge for a closer look to make sure everyone had made it back to the shore in time.

Visibility by then was poor but through the gloom she spotted two kites down on the water about 300m off shore. There was also a lone windsurfer unable to deal with the impossible conditions. Bev had no hesitation in dialing 999 and asking for the Coastguard. By then the air temperature had also dropped from 21 to 12.5°C and conditions showed no sign of improving.

Huddled against the wind in the shelter of a beach hut she rang a second time. 'I wanted to be sure the Coastguard was under no doubt that I thought life was in danger and I felt relieved that they confirmed the lifeboat would be launched following information from my first call,1 she said.

In choppy seas and unsettled weather conditions, two RNLI inshore lifeboats were launched just after 6pm to search for themissing kitesurfers: the Atlantic 75 Blue Peter I and the relief D class Marjorie. Several of the casualties spent more than an hour in the water trying to struggle back to the shore. After an extended search, the Atlantic 75 crew picked up the first casualty, Kenny Gray, approximately 300m from the shore. The lifeboat found a second kitesurfer, Wayne Mortiboys, over 700m away. The two casualties were transferred to the D class and taken ashore.

Representatives of the Coastguard andambulance crews stood by on the beach to help coordinate the rescue operations and attend to the casualties being recovered from the sea.

The sudden squall triggered similar kitesurfing incidents along the coast from Hampshire to Sussex involving further rescues by RNLI crews from Shoreham and Brighton. According to one of the kitesurfers, the winds dramatically switched directionwithout warning from a southwesterly onshore breeze to an offshore gale.

Another local commented:'You simplycannot predict offshore gales of this kind. It was not forecast and caught us all by surprise.'Thanks to a quick-thinking member of the public and the Littlehampton crew, no lives were lost in this unpredictable incident.

In 2003 the RNLI launched 282 times to rescues involving windsurfers, kitesurfers and surf kayakers, saving 34 lives. As part of the RNLI's purpose to save lives at sea, the Sea Safety team offers free safety advice to all windsurfers, kitesurfers and surf kayakers, raising awareness of how they can greatly reduce the risk of life-threatening accidents..