Dinghy sailor rescued in River Medway by Sheerness RNLI
Sheerness RNLI lifeboat crew and Kent Police combined to rescue a dinghy sailor in trouble off Gillingham in the river Medway
A crew from Kent Police, who had also been alerted, were first on the scene in their RHIB craft and had recovered the man from the water and managed to right his dingy.
The lifeboat crew who arrived shortly afterwards then transferred the person to the lifeboat and took him and his dinghy in tow back to Gillingham Strand where they assisted in putting the craft onto its trailer.
The sailor,who comes from St Marys Island, was none the worse for his ordeal and was very grateful for the assistance from the lifeboat and the police crews.
The lifeboat returned to station at 4pm.
Later the same evening at the Sheerness RNLI lifeboat station, Coxswain Robin Castle was presented with a cheque for £120 by Mr Al Carnt of the “Sheppey Rams” who are the veterans of the Sheerness Golf Club.
The ‘Rams’ raised the money for Sheerness RNLI when they held a veterans day earlier in the year.
Robin said: 'We are very grateful to ‘the Rams’ for their kind donation. The money will be well spent in going towards new equipment for the station’.
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Vic Booth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer (Sheerness) 07926904453 / 01795 880544 [email protected] / [email protected]
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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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