RNLI Rye Harbour crew assists a stricken vessel
At 2.08pm on Sunday 23 June the Rye Harbour RNLI lifeboat was tasked by HM Coastguard to assist a 9 metre sailing vessel with engine failure
Newly qualified helm, Tim Dickinson, headed up the crew as the boat set off down the River Rother to open water at Pett Level where the vessel was anchored. On board were a man, a woman and a dog. They had found themselves in trouble when the engine failed and had radioed to the Coastguard for assistance
Matt Ellis, designate Helm, reported, ’It was good to see that those on board were armed with lifejackets and a radio and had gone through the right channels to seek assistance. We towed for the vessel for thirty minutes back to the Harbour. Tim’s boat-handling skills were impressive as he moored the vessel safely in its birth at Rye.’
Paul Bolton, Launching Authority at Rye Harbour, said, ‘I was proud to see how crew members handled themselves with such professionalism. All the hours of training certainly paid off as the whole rescue was swift and seamless and had a positive outcome.’
The boat returned to the station and was ready for service by 5.00 p.m.
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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