Dungeness lifeboat tasked to survey vessel taking on water
At 2.15am on Wednesday 29 June, the lifeboat launched on service tasked by Dover Coastguard to a survey vessel taking on water, 5 miles northeast of the lifeboat station with two persons on board. The 19m vessel was on passage from Lowestoft to Shoreham.
Once on scene, Coxswain Stuart Adams in command of the RNLI Shannon class lifeboat 13-02 ‘The Morrell’ and her volunteer crew rendezvous with the Hastings RNLI lifeboat that were escorting the casualty. Coxswain Adams decided, because of the weather conditions, to continue an escort with the casualty as she ran with the weather to a safe haven in Dover Harbour enabling Hastings lifeboat to be stood down and return to station.
Once safely moored in the harbour the volunteer crew put a salvage pump aboard the stricken vessel and all water was pumped out until she was dry. An estimated 3 ton of water was pumped out.
Coxswain Adams said ‘The skipper of the casualty apologised for calling us all out at an unearthly hour but was extremely grateful for the RNLI’s assistance’
Our lifeboat returned to station, refueled and was ready for service by 7am.
RNLI media contacts
- Judith Richardson – Dungeness RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
01797 320062 / 07859264226/ [email protected] - Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]
- James Oxley, RNLI Press Officer (London/South
East/East)
0207 6207425 / 07786 668825 / [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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