Sheerness RNLI called to assist a narrowboat in trouble

The volunteer crew of the Sheerness RNLI All Weather Lifeboat (ALB) The George and Ivy Swanson  were called at 9.03pm on Monday 1 August to assist a 45 foot  narrowboat that had run aground on Blyth Sands, which are situated on the north side of the Isle of Grain, approximately seven miles from Sheerness.

When the ALB arrived at the scene the narrowboat, with its one man crew, had managed to refloat itself and the Gravesend lifeboat that had previously been called to assist was standing by.

Due to the owner being badly fatigued and not sure of his whereabouts the decision was made to transfer him to the ALB and to put two crew members onto the narrowboat and then tow it back to Queenborough Harbour.

The owner, a Sheppey resident, was brought ashore at the lifeboat station and later gratefully dropped off at his home by a crew member.

He had purchased the vessel two weeks prior in Chertsey, Surrey, and took the decision to sail it down the Thames and back to Queenborough concluding later that this had not been the best idea.

The ALB was ready for service again at 12.15am early the next morning

RNLI media contacts

- Vic Booth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer (Sheerness)  07926904453 / 01795 880544   [email protected] / [email protected]
- Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252  [email protected] 
- Sophie Coller-Nielsen Press Officer (London/East/South East), 0207 6207416, 07824 416615 [email protected]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

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The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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