A man was rescued from his sinking craft by the Sheerness RNLI lifeboat
A man was rescued by the Sheerness RNLI inshore lifeboat from his small boat, which was taking on water and sinking in Queenborough Harbour in the early hours of 7 July
The volunteer crew of the Sheerness RNLI inshore lifeboat were tasked at 0.06am on Tuesday 7 July to reports of a small dory type craft, with one man onboard, that was taking on water and sinking in the vicinity of S1 buoy in Queenborough Harbour.
Having launched with a crew of four at 0.25am the casualty was located at 0.35am. A local fishing boat was already on the scene and giving assistance to the now partly submerged vessel and its occupant who was still onboard.
The man who was very cold and wet was quickly transferred to the lifeboat and taken back to the shore where he was handed into the care of the Sheppey Coastguard Rescue Team whilst waiting for an ambulance,which had been requested as a precaution due to him having been water.
With the ambulance crew on scene and checking the casualty a second man turned up and reported that he had been with the boat but had managed to get back to shore. This chap,who was also very cold and wet,was also checked over by the medics.
Whilst this was going on the lifeboat had returned to the by now mostly submerged craft where a towline was attached and from there they were able to tow it to a safer position closer to shore.
The lifeboat was released by the UK Coastguard at 1.20am and was back on station at 1.30am where it was refuelled and ready for service again at 1.55am. Wind NW 10-14 knots with calm seas.
Further information received stated that the men had recently acquired the boat and had been working on it all day.Having got it working they decided to take it out for a test run. Whilst out on the water the engine began to play up so they returned to shore and had begun winching the boat back onto its trailer when something broke and the boat was catapulted back into the water, where it struck the rocks which presumably put a hole in the keel.Details of what happened next are a bit ‘sketchy’ but it was noted that both men had been wearing lifejacketsKey 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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