Sheerness RNLI lifeboat launched after a distress call from an aircraft.
The Sheerness all-weather lifeboat launched at 5.10pm on Tuesday 5 November to reports from the UK Coastguard that a distress call had been received from an aircraft which had then disappeared from radar.
Launching with a volunteer crew of six the Sheerness all-weather lifeboat ‘Judith Copping Joyce’ was tasked to commence a search, working with lifeboats from Southend and Burnham plus the UK Coastguard Rescue helicopter.
Arriving on scene at 5.50pm the Sheerness ALB employed various search patterns with the crew looking for debris or persons in the water in the vicinity of Middle Deep, Barrow Deep and Knock John in the Thames Estuary to the East of Foulness Island, Essex.
With nothing untoward found the lifeboats were stood down at 9.30pm and returned to their respective stations.
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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