Margate RNLI volunteers respond to three weekend callouts

The first call was at 4.55pm on Saturday (25 July) when the D class lifeboat, along with RNLI lifeguards were engaged in a multi-agency response following reports of a medical incident involving three people in the water in the Margate Main Sands area.

Margate and Herne Bay Coastguard Rescue Teams along with an HM Coastguard helicopter, the KSS air ambulance, Kent Police, Kent Fire & Rescue and South East Coast Ambulance Service all responded. All three people were rescued and transferred to hospitals in London and Ashford with the lifeboat crew also providing additional support for the lifeguards.

The second call, at 10.pm the same evening followed reports of a person in difficulties in the sea off Margate. The D class lifeboat was paged and with the situation resolved by shoreside agencies the lifeboat was stood down before launching.

The third call came at 11.18pm on Saturday after HM Coastguard received a request for assistance from a disabled yacht with two persons on board around five miles north east of Margate.

The larger B class lifeboat was tasked and once on scene the situation was assessed and with no commercial or other options available the lifeboat took the yacht in tow to the safety of Margate harbour where they were met by members of Margate Coastguard Rescue Team, the occupants of the yacht unharmed after their experience. The lifeboat was back on service at 09.22am on Sunday (26 July) nine hours after first launching.

Lee Button, Launch Authority, Margate RNLI said: “The calls demanded total commitment from our volunteer seagoing and shore crews. They carried out their lifesaving work over a 14 hour overnight period with minimal time between each call, adapting to different types of incidents.

“Their many hours of training, carried out in diverse disciplines was very much put to the test in dynamic situations requiring patience and determination.”

Notes to editors

· Margate lifeboat station has been operating since 1860. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to: https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/margate-lifeboat-station

RNLI Media Contacts

For more information please contact:

·         Peter Barker, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on 07974 064304 or [email protected]

·         Sam Haddad, RNLI Regional Communications Manager at [email protected]

·         Julie Rainey, RNLI Regional Communications Lead at [email protected] or 07827 358256

·         Press Office at [email protected] or 01202 336789. 

Key facts about the RNLI

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.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.