Moment two boys seconds away from drowning are rescued by RNLI in choppy waters beneath Blackpool pier

By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:17, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 00:17, 24 July 2026 Two young boys had to be pulled to safety by an RNLI lifeboat after becoming trapped beneath Blackpool Pier as rough seas threatened to sweep them away. Footage released by the RNLI shows the children clinging desperately to the pier's stanchions while waves crash around them before volunteer lifeboat crew edge their small rescue boat alongside the structure and haul the exhausted pair to safety. The boys, aged 10 and 12, had been left stranded by the fast-rising tide during a family day out to Blackpool on May 28 and were said to be just seconds from drowning after battling the sea for around 40 minutes. Their terrified mother, Zully, from Leeds, watched helplessly from the shoreline as her 10-year-old son Subby repeatedly disappeared beneath the water while desperately holding on to the pier. She had tried to wade out to reach the boys herself before being forced back by the powerful surf, while her 21-year-old nephew Ted also clung to the pier supports in a desperate attempt to get to them. Recalling the ordeal, Zully said: '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.' She added: 'It didn't feel real, it was like I was in some kind of helpless dream – a nightmare. I could see my nephew hanging on, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I could see my boy submerged next to the poles of the pier.' A member of the public dialled 999, prompting HM Coastguard to request the launch of Blackpool RNLI's D-class inshore lifeboat.  Two young boys had to be pulled to safety by an RNLI lifeboat after becoming trapped beneath Blackpool Pier Footage released by the RNLI shows the children clinging desperately to the pier's stanchions while waves crash around them before volunteer lifeboat crew edge their small rescue boat alongside the structure and haul the exhausted pair to safety The volunteer crew, who were responding to their 11th callout in just seven days, reached the scene within four minutes. The crew manoeuvred the lifeboat alongside the pier's supports before pulling each child aboard one by one.  With the boys suffering the effects of their lengthy ordeal in the water, the crew immediately rushed them ashore to waiting paramedics while a second RNLI lifeboat rescued Ted from the pier. Zully said the sight of her son arriving back on the beach alive was one she will never forget. 'When I saw Subby coming in on that lifeboat and being carried away, it was like a miracle. I thought he'd gone. He survived because of these people who are volunteers.' Praising the RNLI volunteers who saved her family, she added: 'God bless these people who came. I can't comprehend the fact they are just normal people with jobs and their own family, but they'd risk that to save my family. 'They don't get enough credit for what they do. Nothing mattered to those people in that boat but saving lives and that's incredible.' Zully's 21-year-old nephew Ted also clung to the pier supports in a desperate attempt to get to them The family had travelled to Blackpool during the May half-term holiday to celebrate Eid al-Adha and had checked tide times before heading to the beach, but said they were caught out by how quickly conditions changed. The RNLI has released the footage ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day this week as it urges families visiting the coast during the summer holidays to be aware of rapidly changing tides and to know how to float if they get into difficulty in the water.