BUSY lifeboat crews were called to the aid of a young woman who was drifting in and out of consciousness on a beach and a person in difficulty in the sea off Harwich.

Despite experiencing their quietest August in seven years, Harwich RNLI had a demanding Bank Holiday weekend.

The crew was first called in to help the ambulance service with the woman who drifting in and out of consciousness off Cobbold Point, Felixstowe, after having been out with friends, at about 8.10pm on Friday.

Crew spokesman Richard Wigley said: “Due to the location being surrounded by rocks, it was deemed safest to transfer the young woman to the inshore lifeboat and take her via water to meet up with the waiting paramedics, avoiding the risks involved stretchering her over slippery uneven rocks.

“Once safely in the care of the paramedics once again, the RNLI volunteers were released to return to the station.”

The crew was called into action for the second time on Sunday at 6.50pm after a broke down 300 metres offshore.

The vessel and its four occupants were towed to Shotley Marina, where they were met by the coastguard.

The Harwich RNLI volunteers were again called by the UK Coastguard to reports of a person experiencing difficulty in the water close to Landguard Point at 1pm on Monday.

Arriving on scene, the crew were happy to see the casualty was already in the care of paramedics.

The team was again called to a person in difficulty in the water off Harwich Green on Tuesday morning.

The casualty was brought ashore by the team and placed in the care of Walton Coastguard.

Peter Bull, Harwich RNLI’s lifeboat operations manager, said: ‘I believe the local community and those visiting the coast heeding safety advice, and respecting the water, has resulted in the lowest number of call outs for an August in seven years for the Harwich volunteers, for which I can’t thank them enough for.

“This did mean however, the weekend came as a bit of a shock for the crew members, especially those who have recently joined, but still responded each time to their pagers with dedication and professionalism.”