Another busy weekend for the Sheerness RNLI lifeboat crews
Both the Sheerness lifeboats were called out to two separate incidents in the Medway Estuary
The volunteer crew of the Sheerness RNLI inshore lifeboat ‘Buster’ launched at 8.37pm on Saturday 8 July after a call from the UK Coastguard asked for the lifeboat crew to rendezvous with the Southend RNLI hovercraft in the area of Hoo Island in the Medway.
The ILB crew were asked to escort the hovercaft to an area east of Hoo Marina where a cruiser type craft ‘Amanda Jane’, with three persons on board, was reported to be high and dry on a mud bank.
Having located the casualty a crew member from the ILB transferred to the hovercraft and was able to guide the crew across the mud banks to the cruiser.
The casualty was secured with an anchor and the three family members were taken on board the hovercraft and from there transferred to the ILB which took them back to Gillingham Marina.
The ILB was back on station at 10.20pm
The second call came at 2.15pm on Sunday 9 July after a direct line call to the lifeboat station from the UK Coastguard reported an incident between two speedboats had occurred in the area of the Thamesport Terminal on the Isle of Grain.
With the lifeboat crew already on station after having been out on exercise both lifeboats were launched immediately.
The initial report given was that the two speedboats had been involved in a collision but after arriving on the scene it was reported that one of the boats, which were both together and had ten occupants between them ,had crossed the wake of the other boat at high speed and one of the passengers on board had been thrown forwards and injured.
Along with the crews of the Sheerness RNLI all weather and inshore lifeboats there were teams from Kent ambulance service, Kent Fire brigade and the Coastguard Helicopter in attendance at Thamesport.
A Kent ambulance paramedic assisted by a paramedic from the lifeboat crew attended to the injured person who was eventually lifted in a safety cage by crane from the speedboat onto a berth at the terminal and from there transferred to hospital by ambulance.
The two boats had launched from trailers at Gillingham Pier before the accident happened.
After the injured person had been removed the craft involved was taken to the lifeboat station at The Camber in Sheerness Docks.
None of the other passengers, who included children, were injured and after being checked over boarded the other speedboat and made their way back to Gillingham.
Both the lifeboats were back on station at 5.00pm
Ends
Media contacts:
Vic Booth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer (Sheerness) 07926904453 / 01795 880544 [email protected]
Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer S.E. [email protected] 07786668825
• Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207
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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