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Second call of the year for Whitstable RNLI

Lifeboats News Release

Whitstable's Atlantic 85 lifeboat Lewisco was launched on Friday evening to assist the Margate D Class lifeboat which was dealing with a 5-metre speedboat ground with two occupants onboard on the Margate Sands around 4-miles north west of Margate. Margate's 'B' Class lifeboat was already on another

Whitstable lifeboat after it returned to station after being 'stood down' following a call to assist Margate's D-Class ILB with a speedboat aground off Margate.

RNLI/Chris Davey

Whitstable lifeboat after it returned to station after being 'stood down' following a call to assist Margate's D-Class ILB with a speedboat aground off Margate.
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However Whitstable lifeboat was 'stood down' shortly after launching when it was reported by coastguard that no further assistance was required and the lifeboat returned to station at around 6.15pm.

Meanwhile back at the scene Margate's 'D' Class lifeboat laid out an anchor for the casualty vessel and as the two occupants were feeling the effects of the cold were landed back at Margate by the lifeboat.

Later Margate's B class lifeboat having returned from its earlier call re-launched to recover the speedboat which was also considered to be a hazard to navigation on the rising tide. The craft was subsequently towed to the safety of Margate harbour.

For full details of Margate RNLI's calls please see their report on the News Centre site.

Notes to editors

Whitstable RNLI Lifeboat Station was established in 1963 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 237 lifeboat stations around the shores of the UK and Ireland. The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. They cover the area between the Kingsferry Bridge on the Swale, in the west, around the south-eastern side of Sheppey and along the coast through Whitstable and Herne Bay to Reculver in the east and outwards into the Thames Estuary.

The station is equipped with an Atlantic 85 lifeboat named Lewisco, purchased through a bequest of a Miss Lewis of London who passed away in 2006.

She is what is known as a rigid inflatable inshore lifeboat, the boat’s rigid hull being topped by an inflatable sponson. She carries a crew of four people.

RNLI media contacts

  • Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Whitstable Lifeboat Station.
    07741 012004/ [email protected]

  • Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer London/southeast/east Tel: 0207 6207416 Mob: (07785) 296252 [email protected]

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




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.

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