Littlehampton RNLI lifeboat crew in midnight search
The volunteer crew of Littlehampton lifeboat were paged at 11:44pm on Saturday 10 September at the request of HM Coastguard, after the alarm was raised for a woman in the sea.
The RNLI station’s D class lifeboat, Ray of Hope, launched ten minutes later and headed out to the reported location, in the sea, opposite Littlehampton Leisure Centre on Sea Road.
On arrival at the scene the crew commenced the search close to the water’s edge, along with a police helicopter also in attendance.
At 12.09am the following morning a request was made for Littlehampton’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Renée Sherman, to launch and assist in a more extensive search for the reported casualty. The lifeboat had only been named in a naming ceremony earlier on Saturday.
Following further information from the coastguard both lifeboats undertook a wider search of the area. At 1.39am on Sunday 11 September it was decided that the search had proved inconclusive and was therefore terminated.
Both lifeboats were stood down and they returned to the lifeboat station where they were made ready for service.
RNLI media contacts
• Ray Pye, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, RNLI Littlehampton Lifeboat Station, 07854 074688
• 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
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.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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