THE PARENTS of a young woman who died when her wheelchair fell into Lyme Regis Harbour are returning to the town later this month as volunteers during Lifeboat Week.

Mark and Paula Perkins, from Solihull in the West Midlands have arranged a holiday to coincide with Lyme Regis Lifeboat Week and contacted the RNLI lifeboat station to offer their services.

Their daughter, Clair, 20, died during a family visit in October 2011 - when her electric wheelchair fell into the harbour.

Rescuers battled to save her and she was pulled unconscious from the murky water by a paramedic, but later died in hospital.

Mrs Perkins said: "We will never forget the efforts that so many people made, including the lifeboat crew, to save our daughter on that awful day.

"We felt that by helping out during Lifeboat Week, we would be saying thank you to all those involved.

"We don't mid what we do, whether it's helping to sell ducks for the duck race or walking along the seafront with a collection bucket."

Lyme Regis fisherman Harry May received a Royal Humane Society award for his attempts to save Clair and members of the lifeboat crew, coastguards and paramedics were among those who also attempted a rescue.

At the inquest into Clair’s death, coroner Michael Johnston said the most likely explanation for the accident was that Clair had moved around and caught the electric wheelchair joystick.

The Perkins family have already made generous donations to the RNLI following the accident.

Lifeboat Week in Lyme Regis takes place between Saturday, July 18 and Saturday, July 25. Organisers are hoping to raise £30,000 for the life-saving charity, to match last year's total.

Favourite events will return to the week this year, including the duck race, sand sports, the sand castle competition and the crab fishing contest.

Last year, around 20,000 people flocked to Lyme Regis to catch a glimpse of the Red Arrows' performance. Another first this year will be trophies presented to winners of a number of events.