Report of persons in the sea sparks search off Margate
Margate RNLI inshore lifeboat, the Coastguard helicopter and Margate Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) have been involved in a night-time search off Margate following reports of persons in the sea.
Kent Police received a call around 9pm last night (Tuesday 11 October) reporting a person with a foreign accent shouting for help in the sea off Margate with a second person possibly going to their aid.
UK Coastguard tasked Margate RNLI’s D class inshore lifeboat and the Coastguard helicopter from Lydd Airport to carry out a close inshore and shoreline search taking into account tidal and wind drift predictions using visual, searchlight and electronic aids while the CRT searched the shoreline and made enquiries locally. The B class lifeboat was placed at Immediate Readiness. After around 90 minutes, with nothing found and nothing positive established ashore the search was terminated. Further enquiries continued ashore the call considered a false alarm with good intent.
Christian Wright, Deputy Launching Authority, Margate RNLI said: “The search area was relatively small and able to be covered with a good search quality. It is always concerning when there is no conclusion but we would rather attend a false alarm than consider being such with the wrong result. In coastal emergencies dial 999 and ask for Coastguard.”
Photo: AIS plot of Margate inshore lifeboat during the search (courtesy MarineTraffic)
Notes to editors
· Margate lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/margate-lifeboat-station
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