Early morning call for volunteers

Walmer's Atlantic 85 Donald McLachlan launched at 4.30am on Saturday 3 August following a request to HM Coastguard by Dover lifeboat to assist with a 18m yacht with two people on board taking on water 15 miles north-east of Dover, near the South Falls buoy.

Two crew members from Walmer and three from Dover were put aboard the casualty vessel with salvage pumps to be placed in the bow and stern. While escorting the craft to Ramsgate Harbour it then suffered engine failure and was taken under tow by Dover’s all-weather lifeboat with Walmer's inshore lifeboat standing by to assist.

On returning to the station at 8.25am, Walmer helm Andrew Coe thanked both boat and shore crew for their prompt responses at such an early hour.

RNLI media contacts

• Chris Winslade, Lifeboat Press Officer, Walmer Lifeboat Station 01304 374475, 07906 623037 christopher_winslade@rnli.org.uk

· Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) on 0207 620 7426, 07785 296252, paul_dunt@rnli.org.uk

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

RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre

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 over 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 142,700 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 or by email.