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Man taken to safety by Sheerness RNLI lifeboat

Lifeboats News Release

A man suffering from a severe panic attack was removed from a yacht in the River Medway by the Sheerness lifeboat

The volunteer crew of the Sheerness inshore lifeboat launched at 11.41pm on Saturday 26 May after a call from the UK Coastguard reported that a 65-year-old man was in distress aboard a 24-foot sailing vessel moored close to Upnor in the River Medway.

The lifeboat located the casualty at 0.06am and found the man to be suffering a major panic attack and with concerns for his wellbeing the decision was made to remove him and the other person on board to a place of safety ashore.

Having taken both men off the vessel they were landed ashore at the public slipway close to Chatham dockyard and having ascertained that the man was going to be ok

the lifeboat was stood down and returned to station where it was ready for service again at 1.14am.

Weather conditions at the time were good with Easterly winds force 3 and calm seas.

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

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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