Volunteers from every part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have been involved in a massive search and rescue operation in ‘horrendous conditions’ after record-breaking rainfall swamped parts of northern England.

More than forty members of the RNLI Flood Rescue Team (FRT) from across the North of England and North Wales have joined other emergency services in the mammoth flood rescue operation in Cumbria.

More volunteer crew members are on their way to the scene, as teams from the charity rescued dozens of people from flooded homes in Cockermouth, where flood water was surging through the streets at speeds of up to 25 knots.

The teams said that the flood water was so high in places they were rescuing people from first floor windows, including some very young children and elderly people, and taking them to safety. For more eyewitness quotes from RNLI crew see this press release here.

The Environment Agency said the situation was "very serious". Police said water levels in Cockermouth centre had reached more than 2.5m (8ft 2in).

Overseeing the RNLI teams from the police command centre in Penrith, RNLI Divisional Inspector North Andy Clift says: ‘RNLI Flood Rescue Teams arrived on scene around 10pm last night.

‘They have worked through the night in horrendous conditions, evacuating people from their homes in Cockermouth. We also sent an RNLI crew to Keswick to assist power company staff attempting to reach an electricity sub-station.

‘Our swift-water-rescue trained volunteer teams, made up of coastal lifeboat volunteers and staff from the charity, train year-round to ensure we can respond to the specific conditions faced with swift water flooding, which are different to the conditions our volunteers usually face at sea. We will assist the emergency response for as long as we are needed.’

RNLI inshore lifeboats are capable of operating in the current conditions as they have engines strong enough to cope with the speed of the water. Other craft had to be grounded due to the severe conditions.

Meanwhile the volunteer crew of the RNLI all-weather lifeboat, based at Workington, was also involved in a sea search for a policeman missing after severe flooding caused a bridge to collapse in the town.

The Workington lifeboat launched at 6.10am on Friday to search at the mouth of the River Derwent and along the coast to the north of the town. Around 10 members of the RNLI Workington lifeboat crew also joined other emergency services in a shore search for the missing officer.

Workington RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Captain Brian Ashbridge said: ‘There is a massive current coming down through the Derwent so, although the sea isn’t very rough, conditions for the RNLI volunteers searching in the river basin have been very challenging. It’s absolutely horrendous. There is a huge amount of debris around in the water at the moment as well, which adds to the difficulties.’

Workington RNLI also sent their inshore lifeboat to the nearby villages of Barepot and Camerton overnight where volunteer crew evacuated 14 people from their homes.

The lifeboat charity’s Flood Rescue Team, which is supported by Goodyear, is operating in Cockermouth and Keswick, rescuing people from flooded properties and assisting power workers reach electricity sub-stations.

RNLI volunteers and staff operating in Cumbria have travelled from: Swanage, Poole HQ, Stockton-on-Tees; Scarborough; Redcar; Staithes and Runswick; Silloth; Morcambe; Hartlepool; Blyth; Criccieth; Conwy; Llandudno; Moelfre; Rhyl; Flint; Beaumaris; Pwllheli.

Notes to editors

• Volunteers at the RNLI's 235 lifeboat stations in the UK and Republic of Ireland, were asked if they wished to volunteer for the RNLI’s Flood Rescue Team, which the RNLI set up following its involvement with flood relief in Mozambique in March 2000.
• Those selected were trained in survival techniques and other specialist skills. The RNLI has assisted with flood relief work in the UK and abroad: East Pakistan, flood disaster, 1970; Bangladesh flood disaster 1988; Uckfield, 2000; Boscastle flash floods, 2004; Guyana during 2005; and On standby for Aceh, Indonesia in 2005. Hereford 2006 Filey, Hull and Grimsby 2007 Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester 2007
• Costs for the RNLI’s Flood Rescue Team are usually borne by the requesting organisation.
• The RNLI Flood Rescue Team is supported by Goodyear.

RNLI media contacts:

For more information please telephone RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789; pressoffice@rnli.org.uk, Joanna Quinn, RNLI Press Officer on 01202 663510/ jquinn@rnli.org.uk or Alison Levett, RNLI Media Relations Manager, North, 07786 668912.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tyre companies. Goodyear employs about 70,000 people and manufactures its products in more than 60 facilities in 26 countries around the world. For more information on Goodyear and its products, visit www.goodyear.com.