
Whitstable RNLI in Search for Kayaker
The Whitstable Atlantic 85 Lifeboat Lewisco was launched on Tuesday evening following a report that a fishing vessel had recovered an inflatable kayak from the water in the entrance to The Swale off Shellness, Isle of Sheppey.
The search also involved the Sheppey Coastguard Rescue Team and the coastguard helicopter from Lydd.
It had been reported that the kayak had been seen earlier off Leysdown with one person onboard.
After around 1.5hrs of searching Dover Coastguard reported that persons onshore had informed the coastguard team that they had seen a person believed to be a young male fall from the capsized craft and swim ashore at Leysdown.
After further investigations were made onshore the Whitstable Lifeboat and the coastguard helicopter were stood down from the incident.
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
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Chris Davey, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, Whitstable Lifeboat Station.
07741 012004/ [email protected]
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Paul Dunt RNLI Press Officer London/southeast/east Tel: 0207 6207416 Mob: (07785) 296252 [email protected]
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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.
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