Whitstable RNLI assist Dinghy Sailor

Launching at 16.38 the lifeboat arrived 'on scene’ some six minutes later and the crew located the casualty craft on its side with the male occupant in the water a 1/2-mile off Seasalter sailing club. Weather conditions at the time were force 5 south westerly winds and a choppy sea.

The dinghy sailor was brought onboard the lifeboat and as he was slightly cold wrapped in a thermal blanket.

Subsequently his 14-foot craft was 'righted' and landed ashore to the care of the Herne Bay Coastguard Rescue Team on the beach near to the Sportsman public house following which the lifeboat returned to station.

Lifeboat Helm Dave Parry said “He was an experienced yachtsman and the boat was well equipped but he struggled in the breezy conditions and when he capsized he was unable to right the boat. However it was fortunate that he was wearing a buoyancy aid, had a VHF radio, a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch and a personal locator beacon so he had plenty of options for calling for assistance”.

Earlier in the day the lifeboat launched at 1.28pm following report of a windsurfer struggling in the water off Tankerton.

After an extensive search of the area nothing was found and following a confirmation from the Herne Bay Mobile Coastguard Team that the windsurfer was safe onshore the lifeboat was stood down.

There have now been 32-calls so far this year for the volunteer crews at Whitstable RNLI.

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]

• Julie Rainey - Regional Communications Lead : 07827 358256

• Hatti Mellor - Regional Communications Manager :07724 801305

  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 142,700 lives.

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