'Shocked' volunteer lifeboat crew issue social media plea after drivers block them in - again

Humber Rescue volunteers say they are "shocked", at once again having to deal with poor parking by two motorists who were blocking access to its Hessle station.

It's the second time recently that the organisation has had to issue a social media reminder to those visiting the Foreshore. Back in May, the team of volunteers said that "vital minutes were lost" in a potentially life or death call-out.

Just minutes after being alerted by the public to the latest obstruction, the team were dispatched to assist a vessel with a power failure. Luckily, the drivers returned to their vehicles just in time.

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Humber Rescue said on social media: "We were shocked to be contacted by a member of the public who messaged us in regards to 2 vehicles parked inside our hatched markings. At 18:30 we received the reports of 2 vehicles who had parked in a manner preventing us from launching our lifeboat if required.

"At 18:53, a matter of minutes later, we were tasked by Humber Coastguard to reports of a 40ft vessel that had lost power with 2 persons on board. Despite clear "KEEP CLEAR" markings and signs, these vehicles, if not moved, were preventing our crew from responding without delay. Fortunately, the occupants were returning to their vehicles and moved their vehicles as crew were arriving at the station.

"On this occasion it didn’t delay our launch time. The consequences could have been very different if the vehicles didn’t move."

"As we saw only a month ago, every second counts in our rescue efforts, and delays caused by irresponsible parking can jeopardise lives. We've seen first hand how crucial it is to keep this area clear.

"Please respect the safety measures put in place. If you see "KEEP CLEAR" markings, ensure you do not park there. Your actions directly impact our ability to save lives."

Humber Rescue has previously said that last year, they had no issues with parking, but in the years before 2023 had to issue several reminders. A mixture of relaxed Covid restrictions and repair to the tidal defences meant that parking was scarce as people flocked to the scenic spot.

The charity, now 35 years into assisting on the Humber, recently marked a milestone 3,000th call-out. Operating outside the RLNI, the charity is entirely funded by public donations. It says that it costs between £60-70,000 per year to ensure the boathouse remains operational with routine checks of its three lifeboats. More information on Humber Rescue and the heroic work the charity does can be found here.