Two gentlemen rescued at the mouth of the River Rother by RNLI Rye Harbour
On Saturday afternoon 5 March at 3.39 pm RNLI Rye Harbour was tasked to attend two males in the water who had gone in after their dog.
The boat was afloat by 4.12 pm with Tim D, Luke, Lucy and Brendan as crew. There was a need for urgency as the water was very cold and the tide was going out. By the time the lifeboat arrived, the dog had been rescued and was safe on the shoreline: rather soggy and bedraggled, but safe. The two men had managed to scramble onto a small ledge but were cold and shivering and had cuts to their legs.
They were taken onto the boat swiftly and brought back up the river to the lifeboat station and checked over. They were very cold and very grateful to be safe. One of the gentlemen said,
‘Our spirits soared as we saw the orange of the RNLI boat coming towards us down the river. The smile the young lady gave me lifted me so much as she helped me on board. We know that we were lucky to be saved and cannot thank the RNLI enough for their speedy response to our distress call. We know that they do an amazing job and now we have experienced it first-hand. They have been so kind: a big thank you for everything you have done.’
An appliance from Rye Fire Station was deployed with other resources from Hastings and Battle on stand-by if needed. Dan Channon, Station Commander at Rye, said that it was always good to know how well all the emergency services work together in difficult situations. It is a real team effort.
SECAMB, South East Coast Ambulance Service, was also in attendance and checked over the casualties who were warming up at the station.
Paul Bolton, LOM, (Lifeboat Operations Manager), spoke to both men and said the best thing to do when a dog has entered the water and was in trouble was to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard who would request help from the correct emergency services. All people should stay on the shore and call their dogs in a calm and reassuring manner. Entering the water on a cold day like today when the water was freezing, and the tide was going out, could so easily have ended in disaster.
The whole process of saving lives at sea today was speedy and professional and the boat crew were supported on this task by Iain and Gary (tractor drivers) and James A and Jack as shore crew. Chris King was DLA, (Deputy Launching Authority). Once again team Rye drew on their RNLI training and their own dedication, and the end result was a successful rescue.
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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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.