Busy weekend for Southend RNLI lifeboat crew with six incidents
The warm weekend weather kept the volunteer lifeboat crew at Southend RNLI lifeboat station incredibly busy, with a total of six separate incidents between Friday and Sunday.
On Friday (27 May) the volunteer lifeboat crews were in action four times. Whilst out on exercise in Vange Creek the crew of the inshore lifeboat were advised by a canoeist of an injured jetskier at Wat Tyler Marina. The casualty, who was in considerable pain, was made comfortable pending the arrival of an ambulance. The crew made an improvised stretcher and transferred the casualty off the pontoon to the ambulance.
The crew were then tasked by UK Coastguard to a broken down jet ski at Old Leigh. On arrival, the crew found that the casualty had been towed to safety by an off-duty RNLI crew member who was instructing sailors in the area.
Southend’s Atlantic 85 lifeboat was launched at 1.38pm to search for an object reported by a passing merchant vessel in the Oaze Deep. Guided by the UK Coastguard the lifeboat crew carried out a search, and eventually located a lifebuoy. Nothing else was found and the volunteer crew returned to the pier for a wash down and refuel.
The lifeboat was launched again at 7.07pm to a 36ft yacht which had fouled its anchor and was drifting in a south-easterly direction close to the shipping channel off the pier. The casualty was towed to the pier where the anchor was recovered before the vessel was re-anchored to the west of the pier near the entrance to the Ray.
On Sunday (29 May) the lifeboat crew were busy once again, rescuing six people and a dog. This time it was the volunteer crew of the Inshore Rescue Hovercraft (IRH) that were called to help people in distress.
The UK Coastguard diverted the crew from their training exercise to help a woman and her small dog who were stranded in waist deep water 100m from the shore off the coastguard station at Shoebury. Arriving on scene, the crew found that both had been taken on board a passing jet ski. They were transferred onto the hovercraft and landed ashore at Shoebury West Beach slipway.
On Sunday afternoon, the crew of the lifeboat were flagged down by a swimmer off Adventure Island who had five friends unable to swim ashore from a nearby moored motor boat. The teenagers were taken off and landed safely ashore. Medical attention was not required in either case.
RNLI media contacts
- Brian Wood - Southend Lifeboat Station Volunteer Assistant Lifeboat Press Officer. Tel- 07789 817915, [email protected]
- Paul Dunt, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/East/South East) on 0207 6207416, 07786 668825. [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
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.