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Gravesend RNLI launch to cargo ship distress beacon

Lifeboats News Release

HM Coastguard tasked the Lifeboat at 10:12am on Friday 8 March after a ships EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was activated on the River Thames in the Erith area.

Orange lifeboat pointing shoreside facing a landfill site

RNLI/Gravesend

Gravesend RNLI Lifeboat facing Rainham Landfill site

Gravesend RNLI volunteer Charlotte Earle said, ‘At time of launch the information provided was limited, we had to assume for all possible outcomes from man over board to sinking ship, whilst making best speed to the exact location provided by GPS coordinates we were given a further update from London Coastguard that the vessel hadn’t actually been registered to this device for the past 18 months’.

The Lifeboat and three crew arrived on scene 10:28am to no visible sight of a cargo ship in distress.

Charlotte added, ‘Once we arrived on scene we were still picking up the signal on our direction finder but it was clearly coming from the Rainham Landfill site, we could see active movement of heavy plant machinery and it was then confirmed the disused EPIRB had been activated within the landfill site and the ship was in Mexico’.

With the given position being so close to Erith Yacht Club, Duty Commander Karla led a search around the moorings, with nothing of concern found the Lifeboat was stood down and returned to Gravesend Reach, refuelled and made ready for service by 12:02pm.

Notes to Editor

Gravesend is one of the RNLI’s newest lifeboat stations and one of four lifeboat stations operating on the River Thames – the first stations to specifically cover a river rather than estuarial waters or the sea.

Our lifeboat is Olive Laura Deare II, an Atlantic 85 B class inshore lifeboat, which is one of the fastest types in the fleet.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact:

· Ashley Bard, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected]

· Hatti Mellor, Regional Communications Manager [email protected]

· RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

A yellow EPRIB used at sea in distress

RescueME

Stock image of an EPRIB

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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

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