Boy reunites with RNLI volunteers who saved his life

A 13-year-old boy has been reunited with the lifeboat volunteers who saved his life.

Tommy, and a friend, had been exploring the area around Birnbeck Pier, in Weston-super-Mare, on 12 November, when the tide cut them off.

The boy and his mum Ann-Marie returned to the RNLI lifeboat station to meet the volunteer crew who saved Tommy's life.

"I was quite scared. When they found us, I was so relieved," he said.

Tommy and his friend became stuck with no means of escape.

Realising their predicament, they used their mobile phones to call 999 for help.

Tommy said: "I was thinking to call anyone for help.

"I was quite worried because I didn't know if they'd be able to find us. We could have gotten swept away by the water."

The RNLI volunteer crew launched the lifeboat just after 17:00 GMT, as darkness was setting in.

They headed for the boys' last known location and were able to quickly locate them on the shore, aided by the Weston-super-Mare Cliff Rescue Team who were illuminating their position from above.

Meanwhile Ann-Marie had received the phone call every parent dreads.

She said: "I was at home, sitting down watching the TV with the little ones.

"I had a phone call come in from a private number. I didn't answer it at first but it called a third time so I picked up - when someone calls that many times you assume something must be quite urgent.

"They said 'this is the police'. My heart just sank.

"I pulled my jeans on top of my pyjamas, and rushed out the door. I hurried to the seafront, as I wanted to get there and start searching for Tommy.

"Then they told me that the lifeboat was on the way. I was so pleased they knew where he was.

"We'd only had the carnival a couple of days before and the lifeboat came past the house.

"When they rescued him, I just held him."

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