Christmas Day swimmers at Budleigh Salterton beach are being advised to take extra care, as Exmouth RNLI will not be on hand providing safety cover.
Following the RNLI’s decision, the Budleigh Salterton Lions Club said they will not come to the swim to serve mulled wine and collect for the lifeboat charity.
Exmouth Lifeboat’s operations manager Ian Taylor said he had decided, ‘very regrettably’, to pull out because of crew operational safety concerns relating to the Omicron variant of Covid.
He said: “The health and safety of our charity’s volunteer crew must take priority in these difficult times and we would like to thank members of the public for their support and understanding.”
He added that the lifeboats will remain on call as normal round the clock over the Christmas period.
The Lions president Richard Allen said the club ‘fully understands and respects’ the RNLI’s decision.
He said: “We will continue to support this life saving charity whenever we can and we would encourage others to do the same. We would also urge people who are planning to take a dip over the festive period to follow the RNLI's advice to be extra cautious and understand the risks and how to stay safe before entering the cold water.
"We very much hope that we will be able to collect for the RNLI next year."
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