Shoreham called to assist a drifting cargo ship in the English Channel

The Shoreham all weather lifeboat was launched at 3am on Thursday 1 March to an 88m broken down cargo ship drifting towards the Rampion wind farm in the English Channel. The ship with seven crew on board had suffered engine failure 14 miles off Shoreham.

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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