Sheerness RNLI lifeboats called six times in less than 12 hours
In less than 12 hours the Sheerness lifeboat crew were called to six separate and different incidents at the weekend
The volunteer crew of the sheerness RNLI inshore lifeboat were first called at 4.28pm on Saturday 1 September by the UK Coastguard to a 32-foot yacht with one man on board that had been in collision with an inbound cargo ship and it was not known at the time if any injuries had been sustained.
Making best speed, the crew located the yacht north of the Nore Swatch buoy in the Medway estuary and having boarded the craft the lifeboat crew members found the occupant in a very dazed and confused state due to him having suffered a hypoglycaemic episode. The crew treated the man and once his condition was stabilised the yacht, with him still on board, was motored to the safety of the Lower Camber in Sheerness Docks where he was assisted ashore to wait for a Kent ambulance crew to take over his care.
The ILB was back on station at 5.45pm
As the inshore lifeboat was returning to station the all-weather lifeboat was launched after a call from the UK Coastguard reported that a 90-foot Dutch barge was reported to be aground at Warden Point.
The ALB located the craft, with three people on board, hard aground on the high-water line under the cliffs at Warden. All three persons on board were un-injured and happy to stay on board to wait for the next high tide.
The ALB was released and returned to station at 6.45pm
In the mean time the ILB had been called again by the UK Coastguard and launched at 6.39pm to help search for a vulnerable man who was missing in the area of Rochester Bridge.
Having arrived on the scene the crew made a search of the shoreline in the area until they were advised at 7.30pm that the man had been found in the car park at Strood station by the Medway Coastguard mobile unit and was unharmed and safe.
No sooner had the crew been stood down from this incident than they were immediately re-tasked to a 27-foot motor cruiser with five people on board that had broken down near to the M2 motorway bridge on the River Medway. Once the craft was located a tow line was attached and the ILB towed it to Cuxton Marina where it was secured on to the pontoon.
Having again been released and looking forward to getting back to station the ILB crew received a further call reporting that two females were in a precarious position on the wrong side of the railings of the A2 rail bridge over the river at Rochester.
Having already been in the area the ILB was quickly on the scene and stood by whilst a Kent Police team talked to the women and finally persuaded them to return to the safe side of the railings.
The ILB was released from this incident at 8.27pm and was finally back on station and ready for service after cleaning and re-fuelling at 9.40pm
The sixth call came at 4.35 am on Sunday 2 September when the all-weather lifeboat was requested to launch to assist the Dutch barge ‘Nieuwezorg’ that had run aground the previous evening at Warden Point with three people on board.
Once on the scene the Sheerness lifeboat was assisted by the Whitstable lifeboat crew, who had also been called, to attach a tow line to the heavy barge.
With the tow line in place the Sheerness ALB was able to successfully tow and re-float the barge which fortunately had not suffered any damage during its grounding.
With no damage sustained the barge was towed to a safe commercial mooring in Queenborough Harbour.
The ALB returned to station at 7.35am.
Wind easterly force 3 to 4 throughout.
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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