Littlehampton RNLI respond to 999 call.
An emergency call was made to the UK Coastguard reporting an adult man who appeared to be distressed and was thought to be in the river near Ferry Wharf.
Littlehampton RNLI's D-class lifeboat Ray of Hope and volunteer crew launched at 7.44pm on Saturday 9 October in windy, overcast weather conditions.
The lifeboat crew carried out an extensive search of the reported area along the River Arun. Due to the ebbing tide, it was decided to extend the search further down the river towards the mouth of the harbour. Both searches proved inconclusive.
Following the searches, new information was provided by the UK Coastguard and police, the lifeboat was stood down as it was presumed that the casualty was very likely to be ashore.
The lifeboat returned to the station at 8.05pm where it was refuelled and made ready for service.
RNLI media contacts
- 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]
- For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789 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
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.