A family outing at Blackpool Pier turned into a life‑saving emergency when two boys became trapped beneath the structure as water rose rapidly.
The children, aged ten and twelve, clung to the pier supports while the tide surged. Their father, Zully, watched in terror as the younger boy began to disappear beneath the surface.
“I knew he’d cling on if he could hear my voice telling him not to let go, but by now the water was rising fast and I could see him going under,” Zully said. “It didn’t feel real, it was like a nightmare.”
Within minutes, a volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew reached the boys and extracted them from the water. The crew transported the rescued children to paramedics waiting on the shore.
Zully’s 21‑year‑old nephew, Ted, also tried to help by holding onto the pier supports. He managed to remain above water until the crew arrived.
“When I saw Subby coming in on that lifeboat and being carried away, it was like a miracle,” Zully recalled. “I thought he’d gone.”
She praised the volunteers, describing them as ordinary people who risked their safety to save others. “They don’t get enough credit for what they do,” she added. “Nothing mattered to those people in that boat but saving lives.”
The incident underscores the importance of rapid response teams during seaside emergencies. The RNLI crew’s swift action prevented what could have been a tragic outcome.
