A LIFESAVING RNLI volunteer was hit with a parking fine on Southend seafront as he battled to stop a woman losing her life to hypothermia.

A 79-year-old grandmother was pulled from the sea with the onset of hypothermia, after being in the water for half an hour.

She had drifted out to sea on Tuesday afternoon in an inflatable dinghy with her eight-year-old grandson, before jumping off and holding onto a rope.

However, while the RNLI crew was saving her life, a member of the team received a parking fine from a warden.

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Despite repeated attempts to tell the warden that he was part of the lifesaving team, the ticket was still issued.

The volunteer, in his work van, had become stuck in “choc-a-block” traffic on Western Esplanade, on his way to the RNLI station, and parked near the seafront fountains.

Southend Council has now urged the volunteer to appeal the fine and praised the hard work of the RNLI.

Sarah Coombes, station manager at Southend Coastguard, said: “It’s unbelievable.

“This was an incident where there was definitely a life saved.

“She was really pale and cold. It was an emergency situation and the traffic was at a standstill.

“He was the one that towed her and her grandson back to shore.”

The 79-year-old grandmother was taken to hospital, and returned home yesterday.

An eyewitness, who saw the parking warden issue the fine, wished to remain anonymous. The 61-year-old said: “If he’d sat in the traffic I don’t think she would have made it.

“He was parked in a sensible position, he wasn’t blocking anyone. What are they going to do next, fine ambulance workers?

“I was just amazed as to what was going on. The RNLI worker tried to explain, he was even in RNLI clothes, but he couldn’t hang around for long."

Crowds of onlookers gathered at the fountains while the warden issued the fine.

Del Christie, from Southend Coastguard team, added: “It is a difficult situation, the warden was doing his job, but it was an emergency situation.

“There needs to be some slack. He wasn’t in a position to be sitting in the traffic, it was manic.”

Ian Gilbert, leader of the council, said: “In order to cancel a validly issued PCN and in particular, given the unique circumstances in this instance, we highly recommend the driver makes an official appeal to the council to challenge the PCN.

“The council recognises the courage and professionalism of RNLI volunteers who keep our residents and visitors safe.”