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A variety of calls keep the Sheerness RNLI Lifeboat volunteers busy

Written by on 15 October 2019

Both the Sheerness RNLI lifeboats have been launched to a number of incidents in the Thames and Medway estuaries over the last couple of weeks.

The first call came on Monday 30th September when the Sheerness crews were paged with a ‘crew assemble’ alert at 10.20pm in response to a call from the UK Coastguard to reports that a 42-foot yacht was aground, after suffering machinery failure, NW of the Grain Fort.

The inshore lifeboat ‘Buster’ launched at 10.46pm to assess the situation and with the casualty quickly located the crew were able to secure a towline to the yacht and move it to deeper water. The all-weather lifeboat ‘The George and Ivy Swanson’ launched at 11.05pm and took over the tow from the inshore lifeboat at 11.25pm and arrived at the Queenborough all-tide landing at 11.48pm. The inshore lifeboat was back on station at 11.30pm followed by the ALB which moored at 11.59pm.

Winds southerly 25knots, sea slight, visibility moderate.

The ALB launched again at 10.55am on Wednesday 2 October after being tasked by the UK Coastguard to reports of an upturned white dinghy in the vicinity of the Zulu anchorages in the Thames estuary. Having arrived on the scene a search of the area began at 11.05am and located the dinghy at 11.45pm. With nothing untoward found and taking into account the condition of the craft the lifeboat was stood down by the UK coastguard and arrived back on station with the dinghy in tow at 12.20pm. Wind WSW F5, sea state slight with good visibility.

The inshore lifeboat launched again at 6.15pm on Wednesday 9 October after being tasked to a 20-foot cabin cruiser with three people onboard that had broken down and was at anchor in Wickham Reach, Rochester. The ILB crew located the casualty at 6.56pm, and having established that the occupants were safe and well, a tow line was attached and the craft was towed to a mooring at Medway Bridge Marina. Having been released at 7.38pm the ILB was back on station at 8.31pm and ready for service again at 8.55pm. The inshore lifeboat also launched the following day to assist other agencies in an incident at Rochester.