Busy evening for Gravesend RNLI launching to 5 separate incidents

After the day crew had handed over to the night crew the third call came at 8.44pm to reports of a person who had fallen in the river near to Northfleet. Once on scene it was confirmed by Kent Police that the person was ashore and was not in the river as first reported.

The fourth call was at 10.16pm to reports of a person threatening to enter the river at Erith. Shortly after arriving on scene the person was taken into the care of Shoreside police and away from the river.

The last call came at 11.40pm to check the welfare of an engineer working on a jetty who had not checked in for some time. While on route a nearby vessel was asked to check and the engineer was found safe and well.

Notes to editors

Gravesend is one of four lifeboat stations on the River Thames that are operated by the RNLI. Gravesend Lifeboat covers an area from Holehaven, at the western end of Canvey Island, to the Thames Flood Barrier at Woolwich, a distance of 26 miles. A patch which covers Kent, Essex, South & East London.

RNLI media contacts

• Alan Carr, Gravesend RNLI Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
  07775 822584, [email protected]

• Paul Dunt, RNLI Reginal 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

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.