Grounded yacht assisted by Littlehampton RNLI lifeboat and lifeguards.
At 4.38pm on Saturday 3 June Littlehampton RNLI received a call from the UK Coastguard requesting assistance to a yacht which had been reported by a member of the public, to have run aground on Rustington beach.
The station's Atlantic 85 lifeboat Renée Sherman and volunteer crew - helm Andy Harris, Josh Gruber, Adam Grummett and Richard Winstanley - headed out of the harbour towards Rustington in fine weather conditions.
The yacht, with one adult male onboard, had run aground onto the beach. The RNLI lifeguards were already alongside the casualty when the lifeboat arrived and reported that the occupant had left the vessel and had swum ashore. He appeared to be disorientated and had walked away from the beach.
One of the lifeboat crew went aboard the vessel and with the assistance of the lifeguards a tow line was rigged up and the casualty was towed back to Littlehampton Harbour, where it was safely secured alongside Town Quay. The lifeboat returned to the station at 6.51pm.
The male occupant had been located by a member of the public and been taken back to the lifeboat station, where an ambulance had already been requested. He stated that he felt confused and described himself as feeling groggy, following a single-handed journey from Falmouth, his destination being Brighton Marina.
He was handed over to the paramedics so he could be assessed and receive any necessary medical attention. The police were also on hand to take further details.
- Ray Pye, Littlehampton RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer / 07854 074688, email [email protected]
- Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 email [email protected]
- Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) on 0207 620 7416, 07786 668825 email [email protected]
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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