Day and night launches for Littlehampton RNLI volunteers
Littlehampton RNLI lifeboat was called out during the afternoon and evening this week, showing how the charity's lifesaving volunteers are ready to launch night or day.
The first call from the coastguard was received at 10:43pm on Wednesday 8 June, following a report from the Police stating there was a person in the River Arun and was drifting out to sea.
The station's Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Renée Sherman, and her volunteer crew launched at 10.49pm in response to the report.
The person was quickly located and taken aboard the lifeboat, which then returned to the lifeboat slipway where the female was passed over to the emergency services. The lifeboat was recovered to the station and made ready for service.
The second call was received by the coastguard at 1.11pm on Thursday 9 June, after a mobile phone call from a crew member of a leisure vessel saying they had broken down half way between Littlehampton and Bognor Regis and had dropped the anchor to stop them drifting.
The crew launched Renée Sherman again at 1.20pm and headed out in good weather conditions. During the journey a second call from the coastguard was received, advising that the crew of the vessel had managed to re-start the engine.
The lifeboat was requested to proceed and then escort the vessel with 5 adults on board back to the harbour, where it was safely secured. The lifeboat returned to the station where it was re-fuelled and made ready for service.
RNLI media contacts
• Ray Pye, Littlehampton RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer / 07854 074688, email [email protected]
• Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252, email [email protected]
• James Oxley, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) 0207 6207425 / 07786 668825, email [email protected]
• For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
Key facts about the RNLI
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.