Whitstable RNLI land two after they were blown 1-mile offshore

Whitstable lifeboat was 'at sea' on an exercise when just before 4.00pm the crew were tasked to the incident which also involved the Sheerness all-weather lifeboat which was proceeding following a previous incident, the Sheppey Coastguard Rescue Team whilst Dover Coastguard dispatched the coastguard helicopter from Lydd.

Whitstable lifeboat Helmsman Ben Crosswell said “We arrived 'on scene' and located the pair, two girls, about a mile offshore They were cold, wet and the youngest was visibly frightened. The eldest had done a good job trying to stay calm and reassure the younger one. I spoke with the mother onshore who was so thankful and overwhelmed with relief when we brought them back”

Ben continued “The safety message here is, regrettably the same one we find ourselves repeating. I would not recommend the use of lightweight leisure inflatables in the open sea, but if you do, ensure you have floatation devices, which the two girls had, a means of communication and that someone ashore is observing you”.

“Most commonly it is the weather, wind and tide that is catching people out. This was a particularly windy day with an offshore breeze, a combination I would strongly advise against paddleboarding in”.

Sunday afternoon's incident was the 39^th call of the 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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