A speedboat was towed to safety by the Sheerness RNLI lifeboat

The inshore lifeboat launched at 4.25pm on Tuesday 7 August after a call from the UK Coastguard reported a 12-foot speedboat with engine problems was drifting approximately 800yards from Garrison Point off Sheerness and the only method of communication with the casualty was by mobile phone to the two persons on board.

The lifeboat proceeded to the general area given but found no sign of the craft. Further information from the coastguard advised that the casualty was now located off Grain Spit. The lifeboat crew located the craft at 4.40pm and after making sure both occupants were ok they towed it back to the causeway in Queenborough Harbour where they made it safe at 4.56pm and were back on station at 5.10pm.

The inshore lifeboat was launched again at 7.58pm the same evening after the UK Coastguard reported that a call had been received reporting that three people were cut off by the tide on Grain beach. Weather conditions at the time were poor with tail end of a heavy thunder storm passing through the area.

Having made a search of the area and finding nothing untoward in the area given the crew came across eight teenagers on the Martello Tower off Grain which was now cut off by the tide.

The youngsters who it appears had gone out to the tower in a small craft were offered help to get back to the shore which they refused and also some strong safety advice which they also chose to disregard.

With little more they could do the crew returned to station at 8.44pm.

Wind Easterly force 2-3.

Ends

RNLI media contacts

Vic Booth RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer (Sheerness) 07926904453 / 01795 880544 [email protected] / [email protected]

Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer S.E. [email protected] 07785296252

For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

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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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