New volunteer recruit Stuart Clark is tasked to his first shout at Rye Harbour
The pagers went off at 14.50pm on Saturday 19 January 2019 requesting assistance for a dog in trouble in the River Rother. It was decided to assist on foot as it was so near to the station.
Tony Peters, helm at the station, said, 'It was a straightforward rescue as the dog was stranded on a sand bar and had a harness on. A bowline knot (sometimes referred to as the king of the knots because of its importance) was secured to the harness and the dog was taken to safety.’
HM Coastguards were on standby but the rescue was handled quickly and their assistance was not required.
New volunteer recruit Stuart Clark, a direct descendant of William and Leslie Clark who lost their lives in the Mary Stanford disaster in 1928, was tasked to attend his first shout. This was the second ‘first shout ‘ at the station this week.
Matt Ellis, crew member who also attended, remarked,
‘It was excellent that the dog owners heeded the advice that the RNLI gives to dog owners. Call 999 for help and wait calmly for help to come and DO NOT enter the water. They were extremely grateful to us for our quick response and happy to be re-united with their dog. Tragedy had been avoided.’
The couple was full of praise for the crew and gave a generous donation, helping to enable the RNLI to carry on their mission of Saving Lives at Sea.
RNLI Media contacts
• Kt Bruce, Rye Harbour RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer (07789) 818878 [email protected]
• Paul Dunt, Regional 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
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 Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that saves lives at sea. Our volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 237 lifeboat stations, including four along the River Thames and inland lifeboat stations at Loch Ness, Lough Derg, Enniskillen and Lough Ree. Additionally the RNLI has more than 1,000 lifeguards on over 180 beaches around the UK and operates a specialist flood rescue team, which can respond anywhere across the UK and Ireland when inland flooding puts lives at risk.
The RNLI relies on public donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. As a charity it is separate from, but works alongside, government-controlled and funded coastguard services. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 our lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved at least 140,000 lives. Volunteers make up 95% of the charity, including 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members and 3,000 volunteer shore crew. Additionally, tens of thousands of other dedicated volunteers raise funds and awareness, give safety advice, and help in our museums, shops and offices.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 or by email.
The RNLI is a charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number 20003326 in the Republic of Ireland.
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.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
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.