Sheerness and Southend RNLI lifeboats assist in Thames estuary rescue.
Volunteer crews from the Sheerness and Southend RNLI lifeboats were called to assist a craft that had run aground on the notorious Maplin Sands
The lifeboat reached the scene at 10.40pm and joined the Southend lifeboat which was already on the scene and had managed to put a crew member over to the casualty craft.
Coastguard Rescue helicopter 163 had also arrived at the scene and proceeded to lift the two occupants from the craft from where they were taken to Southend airport.
Due to tidal conditions it was not possible to move the craft from its position, so with an anchor laid out it was left where it was.
With conditions in the estuary worsening the Sheerness lifeboat provided safety cover for the smaller Southend lifeboat on its return passage back to base at Southend Pier.
The lifeboat was back on station at 11.57pm.
Earlier in the day at 3.20pm the lifeboat had launched to reports of a vessel sinking at Rochester.
No further information as to the size of the vessel or how many people were on board was given at the time of the call.
Whilst on route further information was received stating that the vessel was tied up alongside a mooring and that there were no people on board.
The lifeboat was stood down at 3.55pm with no further action being taken and returned to station at 4.52pm.
It was later ascertained that the craft in question was the old motor tug ‘Sir Thomas Pudding’ which the crew had been called out to on a number of occasions previously.
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]
• 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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