After a fateful day at the end of June, Uzma Khan was left wondering what would have happened if she hadn’t stepped out onto the sands … if she hadn’t been carrying a mobile phone … or if three volunteers hadn’t gone to her aid

‘I had been fasting that day. I was struggling to pass the time, but the weather was very good in the evening so I went for a walk,’ recalls Uzma. The 28-year-old Blackpool resident strolled out onto the sands near the town’s Queen’s Promenade, and walked until she reached water. ‘I turned around, and that’s when I realised I had water all around me,’ adds Uzma, who dialled 999 and quickly explained her predicament to the Coastguard. They alerted Blackpool lifeboat crew.

Back on shore in the town, volunteer lifeboat Helm David Warburton was driving home from a shopping trip when his pager beeped. ‘Being already in the car gave me a bit of a head start in terms of getting to the station quickly, so I was one of the first to arrive,’ says David, an HR manager.

He kitted up along with Crew Members Alan Gilchrist – a funeral services operative – and Jonathan Horrocks, an alley gate coordinator.

Meanwhile, Uzma’s initial concern had given way to panic. ‘At first I had a lot of space. But then the water started getting nearer. Within 5 or 6 minutes, I was in the sea. The tide came in so quickly.’ Uzma stayed on the phone to the Coastguard, who told her to stay calm. ‘But the water was soon up to my neck with just my head, my hand and the phone above it,’ recalls Uzma. ‘I couldn’t swim. I don’t know how. I said “yes” to everything the man on the phone said, that I would try and float, and take breaths. I took three breaths, then a fourth one. I thought: “That is it. This is my time – why? I don’t want to die like this.” Then I started thinking about everyone I knew, my family, my partner.’

David and his fellow crew know only too well how quickly the tide can catch people out, and headed to the scene at full speed. ‘The situation had gone from someone being cut off by the tide to someone out of their depth, fully-clothed, exhausted and unable to swim,’ says David. ‘Coastguards and police had gathered at the shore, so I used them to guide me roughly towards where the casualty was.’

Suddenly, Alan and Jonathan spotted Uzma’s face and arm just above the surface, about 100m away. ‘I didn’t hear the lifeboat arrive – I didn’t hear anything at that stage. I was drowning,’ reflects Uzma. ‘My hands were up and somebody grabbed them and pulled me into the lifeboat. I remember struggling to breathe. I was crying and shouting.’

Initially Uzma was conscious and responded to the crew’s checks. ‘But after 30 seconds she passed out and went quiet,’ recalls David. ‘So, instead of heading back to the lifeboat station, I decided to land the boat there. If we needed to give treatment, it was going to be a lot easier on land than a lifeboat at sea.’ David managed to beach the lifeboat on a small area of sand at the foot of the sea wall. He grabbed oxygen and a first aid kit while Alan carried Uzma to the top of the steps – Jonathan stayed with the lifeboat.

‘She was very cold, very tired and had taken on a lot of water, so we were concerned about secondary drowning,’ adds David, who monitored Uzma with Alan before she was taken to hospital. She made a complete recovery.

‘A few days later I went to the lifeboat station to say thank you to the volunteers. That’s when I realised the RNLI is a charity,’ says Uzma. ‘From now, whatever I do, whether I earn more or less, I want to give something to the RNLI every month. I felt so helpless.’

Respect the Water - check tide times before you go on a coastal walk and keep an eye on the tide to check whether it’s coming in or going out.

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‘It’s a privilege to have saved someone’

DAVID WARBURTON
BLACKPOOL HELM | HR MANAGER

My focus was to make sure we reached Uzma at my first attempt. If I missed her and the crew couldn’t reach, we’d have to do another approach. She could have disappeared at any second.

I’m so proud of the crew. But it wasn’t just us – it was everyone involved in the station, including the launch crew who drove the D class down to the beach. And the training was vital too, because I believe any three volunteers from our crew in any combination would have done the same, with the same outcome. It’s a privilege to have saved someone.

The UK and of Ireland have some of the biggest tidal ranges in the world so, before you head out, make sure it’s safe – check tide times.