A Local Tragedy – Morecambe

Morecambe Bay, my home town, is one of the most spectacular bays in the country and I have to say has the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen. However, what many people do not know is how dangerous the Bay and it’s tides can be and this is one of the reasons why 23 Chinese cockle pickers lost their lives 10 years ago this week.

It’s strange how during certain events you know where and what you were doing like Princess Diana’s death or 911. On the 5th February 2004 I had just gone back to bed after finally getting rid of horrendous pregnancy induced heartburn, as I was expecting my third child just four months later, when I heard the distinct sound of flares.

As I live about 1/2 mile from the promenade this is something you get used to but on this particular night it was the quick succession of the bangs, along with the distinct sound of a helicopter circling up and down the promenade, and the screaming of the emergency vehicles as they passed the end of my road that made me realise that something had happened.

I remember saying to my husband that I hoped whoever was stuck in the Bay would be safe and that the RNLI would reach them quick.  Unfortunately this was not to be and as the sun rose 23 young Chinese men and women had lost their lives in the biggest tragedy to ever hit Morecambe Bay.

As news began to leak out a story of desperate people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families began to surface. A story of vicious gang masters who exploited their own countrymen for profit and a story of survival and courage from the many RNLI volunteers who risked their lives that night in the hope of finding survivors.

As a local to the sands of Morecambe Bay I know and instill into my children how dangerous the Bay is. The tide comes in so fast and before you know it you are trapped with no way out as the water slowly surrounds you.

On the night in question over 65 Chinese workers were being transported to Morecambe by  organised gang masters to exploit the very profitable cockle beds. Fortunately there was an issue with one of the vans and 35 workers had to turn back or the loss of life would have been much higher.

The gang masters had little or no regard for the tides and at the time there was no legislation for permits to farm the cockle beds so the 30 workers set off to farm the beds under the cover of night. Their leader should have been aware of the tides however the first thing many of the workers knew about it was when it began swirling round their feet. In pitch blackness there was no escape for many as the tide rolled in 15 foot deep and 1/2 a mile wide.

Many of the Chinese workers began phoning home to say goodbye to their loved ones and on one call to the emergency services a voice could be heard shouting,” Sinking water, many many, sinking water”.

Harry Roberts, RNLI Commander at the time of the tragedy said, “It was very distressing but we were doing the job we were trained to do. It is the worst tragedy I have come across in my time with the RNLI. They didn’t have any safety gear and some of them were naked because they had taken their clothes off to help them swim.”

By the end of the night 23 people were feared to have died. Many bodies were found immediately and the Morecambe crew picked up ten bodies that night. In all 22 bodies have now been found with the last in 2010, one is still missing.

Several people were arrested and charged for their connections with the tragedy and this week saw a very moving ceremony on the promenade from the local community as we remembered not only those who lost their lives but also those who survived and not forgetting the tremendous effort that is put in every day by RNLI volunteers in our local community who risk their lives to save others.

A total of 292 people have been rescued by the crews over the past 15 years, 172 by the lifeboat and 120 by the hovercraft. Fifty two of those, it is believed, would have died but for the RNLI’s intervention.

If you would like to donate to the RNLI please click on the link below.

www.rnli.org.uk