AN Abersoch RNLI volunteer who helped rescue two young boys from a bungalow during the Cumbria floods, returned with her fellow volunteers to deliver the youngsters the perfect present in time for Christmas.

Sebastian and Jacob Holmes, aged five and three, were among six members of the same family carried out of a bungalow near Kendal in the early hours of 6 December by RNLI Flood Rescue Team members, as flood waters rose dangerously through the property.

RNLI volunteers, including Elissa Thursfield, 28, from Abersoch RNLI, who was part of the team on the ground, found Sebastian and Jacob, terrified and taking refuge from flood water on top of their bunk beds.

The volunteers encouraged them out by promising them their own flood rescue team helmets once they were safe and well.

On 23 December the volunteers from the RNLI team made good on their promise and travelled to the boys’ home in Lytham St Annes to deliver the helmets in time for Christmas.

The boys’ dad, Alan Holmes, a well-known rugby player and club director in Lancashire, said: “After the rescue Sebastian and Jacob said they had been promised helmets, but I just assumed it was something the RNLI guys said to coax them out of the house because they were so scared.

“But to take the effort to come up here and meet the boys in person and deliver them in time for Christmas is a fantastic gesture.”

The RNLI Flood Rescue Team, which also consisted of Bryn Ellis from Pwllheli RNLI and Paul Filby from Criccieth RNLI, who were part of the shore based team, evacuated at least 360 people from flooded homes across Cumbria during their three-day deployment earlier this month.

One of the team’s most difficult tasks was the rescue of Sebastian, Jacob, their grandparents Kevin and Mary, their cousin Haydn and his girlfriend Samara – as well as two dogs – from the remote bungalow in the Levens area near Kenal. They had been stranded for 12 hours and were using flash lights to signal for help while standing on kitchen worktops and bunk beds to escape the rising water.

The flood water surrounding the property was fast flowing and this, combined with the unpredictable terrain, meant it was too dangerous for the RNLI Flood Rescue team to use a boat to rescue them. A local farmer volunteered to use his tractor to ferry five members of the team to the bungalow with a rescue sled. The occupants were evacuated two at a time and then transferred to a local pub to warm up.

Speaking of her experience in Cumbria, Elissa said: “We were working in very difficult conditions with relentless rain and the water levels were just horrendous.

“The RNLI flood team were working day and night to help evacuate people from their homes, everyone worked incredibly hard, it was very physical work and very emotional at the same time.”