Rye Harbour RNLI has a busy start to August
On Monday 6 August at 5:45pm Rye Harbour Lifeboat was requested by HM Coastguard to launch.
This was in response to reports of a twenty-foot motor vessel with one person on board broken-down two miles south of Dungeness lighthouse. It was the second launch in two days.
The crew was paged and after a briefing session the lifeboat launched at 6:00pm. It was found that the casualty, who was on passage from Ramsgate to Eastbourne, had run out of fuel: a tow was established and the vessel was brought into Rye Harbour, where it was tied up on the public slipway and the skipper given assistance to obtain fuel from a local garage.
Matt Ellis, volunteer crew member, said; ‘Once we were in the vicinity of the search area we called up the skipper of the stricken craft on VHF radio, and were then able to use our DF (direction finding) equipment to vector on to him and reach him quickly and efficiently. The Atlantic 85 is an incredibly well-equipped boat, and the on-going programme of training and exercising means that the Rye Harbour lifeboat crew is ready to support in situations like this whenever it is called upon. ’
The RNLI stresses the importance of making sure before setting out on a voyage, no matter how short, that all occupants have fully-functioning life-jackets and that vessels are well-maintained, including making sure that there is sufficient fuel to arrive safely at the chosen destination.
The lifeboat returned to station at 8:00pm, was washed down, refuelled and ready for service within thirty minutes.
This was in response to reports of a twenty-foot motor vessel with one person on board broken-down two miles south of Dungeness lighthouse. It was the second launch in two days.
The crew was paged and after a briefing session the lifeboat launched at 6:00pm. It was found that the casualty, who was on passage from Ramsgate to Eastbourne, had run out of fuel: a tow was established and the vessel was brought into Rye Harbour, where it was tied up on the public slipway and the skipper given assistance to obtain fuel from a local garage.
Matt Ellis, volunteer crew member, said; ‘Once we were in the vicinity of the search area we called up the skipper of the stricken craft on VHF radio, and were then able to use our DF (direction finding) equipment to vector on to him and reach him quickly and efficiently. The Atlantic 85 is an incredibly well-equipped boat, and the on-going programme of training and exercising means that the Rye Harbour lifeboat crew is ready to support in situations like this whenever it is called upon. ’
The RNLI stresses the importance of making sure before setting out on a voyage, no matter how short, that all occupants have fully-functioning life-jackets and that vessels are well-maintained, including making sure that there is sufficient fuel to arrive safely at the chosen destination.
The lifeboat returned to station at 8:00pm, was washed down, refuelled and ready for service within thirty minutes.
RNLI Media contacts
• Kt Bruce, Rye Harbour RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (07789) 818878 [email protected]
• Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East), 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]
• For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.
Key facts about the RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 237 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 180 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland.
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
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.