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Gravesend RNLI crew help rescue horse from River Thames foreshore
On July 19 at 1:20pm, Gravesend RNLI were tasked by London Coastguard to reports of a horse and rider in difficulty on the River Thames foreshore at Tilbury Fort.
The lifeboat made best speed to the scene, arriving around 10 minutes later after being on exercise further up river. The crew established that neither the horse nor the person with it was stuck in the mud, but both were at serious risk of being cut off by the incoming tide, with around 1.5 hours before the area was expected to flood.
RNLI Duty Commander Stewart Challis said, 'As the situation developed, the horse entered the water and swam against the tide. The lifeboat was used to carefully guide it back towards the shore, where it eventually made its way to the relative safety of Bill Melroy Creek.'
Working alongside the horse’s owners, London Fire Brigade and specialist animal rescue teams, the crew helped attach a proper harness and the horse was persuaded up the steps and over the sea wall to safety.
Once the horse, its owners and everyone involved were safely clear of the foreshore, Gravesend RNLI’s ashore volunteer was recovered and returned to station.
Stewart added, 'The crew worked closely with the other emergency services and the horse’s owners to ensure everyone, including the horse, was brought to safety.’
The lifeboat was made ready for service by 3:20pm.
RNLI Media Contacts
Ashley Bard, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer for RNLI South East, [email protected]
Stella Sims, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for London and South East England, 07483 316675, [email protected]
Sam Haddad, RNLI Regional Communications Manager for London and South East England, 01202 137713, [email protected]
Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead for London and South East England, 07827 358256, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office, 01202 336789, [email protected]
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The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
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