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Key: ILB - Inshore Lifeboat. ALB - All Weather Lifeboat. Times given are when the crew were paged/ tasked, in BST if applicable.

Despite having to empty the boat of visitors the boat was clearing the locks and en route in around 6 minutes.

However, as the boat cleared the locks the fire was reported as having been extinguished and the crew stood down.

The area was thoroughly searched and the surfer was no longer in the water - it was presumed he had made it ashore, and the boat was returned to station.

As the boat was leaving the trailer the coastguards radioed to say the person may have made it back to shore, but wanted the crew to check the water and beach area to be sure.

The crew searched the water from leaving the harbour and was informed the first info had come from a couple on the beach and they were waving to us, we beached the boat so we could talk to them to find out what had happened.

They told us there was a swimmer in the water unable to get back to shore, but had then made it back and was there on the beach. We talked to him; he said that he was
shouting for help and at the time could not get to shore!

Having established he did not need any mediacal assistance the crew were sttod down and returned to station.

The jetski, which had 2 persons aboard, had managed to hit the speedboat at considerable speed - up to 40mph. However luckily neither of the crew, nor anyone on the powerboat were injured.

The jetski however was almost completely destroyed and had to be towed back to Shoreham in a semi submerged state.

3 persons on board, 2 of which were very sea sick and they also had their main sail jammed up.

1 crew man was transferred to the yacht and he helped sail the boat into Shoreham Harbour. Once in the shelter of Harbour the main sail was un-jammed and lowered.
The 2 people that were sick started to feel better once in calmer water and were given water to drink.

The lifeboat crew man was transferred back onto the lifeboat and the yacht entered the lock to return to her berth.

The boat, with 2 persons aboard, was located and towed back to Emerald Quay.

HM Coastguard suspected the craft has been set adrift by vandals, but as the inside could not bee seen from the shore they were concerned that a person may be in the boat unwell.

The ILB crew located the boat, established it was empty, and towed it to the beach to the hands of the coastguard mobile unit.

The IOLB was then stood down to return to station.

The vessel, which in fact had been driven well inshore and was almost in the surfline, was recovered and towed to Emerald Quay to await suitable tidal conditions for recovery.

Fearing that a person might have fallen from the craft, a search of the area began.

However, damage to fencing and the sighting by a crew member of 2 persons seen running from the site just 5 minutes before the alarm was raised led the Coastguard to conclude this was an attempted theft and no persons were in the water. The search was therefore stood down.

A member of the public had reported hearing a male voice calling for help near the Old Toll Bridge, Shoreham. The ILB along with a number of shore crew joined the Police and the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter to search the river from the high street to the A27 flyover.

Nothing was found and the search was ended after about an hour.

The yacht had responded to a Pan Pan distress call from the becalmed yacht with engine failure off Lancing. The skipper of the towing yacht had established a tow but with an eta to Shoreham of around an hour, and his concerns about safely manoeuvring the 2 boats within the harbour, he requested assistance from the ILB.

The lifeboat crew took over the tow around 2 miles from Shoreham and towed the disabled yacht into harbour.

The vessel had been taken under tow by a passing yacht who was on passage to Plymouth but had offered to tow the Culvic back to Brighton .

Once on scene Shoreham ALB spoke to both skippers it was decided the Lifeboat would take over the tow due to them only making approx 3 knots against the ebb tide, and allowing the assisting yacht to continue on her passage west to Plymouth,

Shoreham ALB passed a tow to casualty vessel and made best speed to Brighton Marina, where she was left safley on a berth.

Once along side the vessel the person was taken on board the lifeboat. The gentleman said that he required no medical attention but need to see a doctor. The crew then returned to harbour at best speed and handed him over to the Shoreham coast guard mobile unit. He was then taken to hospital.

The crew arrived on scene to find the clearly distressed girl, They stabilised her position and fitted her with a neck brace to render ner neck immobile.

The CoastGuard rescue helicopted then landed on the beach and airlifted her to hospital with several injuries including damage to her teeth and a compressed spinal injury.

The lifeboats then began an extensive search for what had all the indications of being a person in the water.

After 4 lifeboats and up to 20 volunteer crew had searched for 5 hours, it was discovered that a person had borrowed the boat and irresponsibly dumped it on the beach without concern for the consequences.

The lifeboats were therefore stood down mid afternoon to return to station.

The vessel had lost steering, and was taken under town back to Shoreham.

While the crew were en route information came through that the casualty may have been helped ashore by another boarder. When they arrived on scene they were flagged down by a person on the beach who confirmed this was the case and that he was the casualty - he was unharmed.

The crew then put to sea again to attempt to locate the broken rig. However, they were unable to locate the rig and they were stood down to return to station.

The vessel was located and towed in to the safety of Shoreham Harbour.

The boat with 2 people aboard was stranded around 5 miles south of Littlehampton with their anchor line fouled around the propellor.

The ALB arrived on scene within about 30 minutes and attempted to free the anchor from the sea bed, but it was stuck fast. So the line was cut and the boat towed to Littlehampton.

Due to the very low tide strong flow across the entrance to the harbour, the coxswain asked for Littlehamptons Atlantic 75 lifeboat to be sent out to take over the tow.

Shortly afterwards the tow was passed and the ALB returned to Shoreham.

While preparing to extend the search within the canal, information came through from Solent coastguard that all units could stand down as Sussex police had informed them that the location of the man was most likely in be in Newhaven as his mother had seen him there at approx 0100hrs.

The search was therefore called off and the ILB returned to station.

An elderly man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease had been reported missing in the Shoreham area. After obtaining history on this gentleman the Coastguard ascertained that he had a propensity to head towards a beach or water when in a confused state.

Both boats were subsequently launched; the ILB proceeded up river and the ALB out
to sea to commence a search approx 150 metres off the shoreline. The search commenced from the east breakwater at Shoreham Harbour to the King Alfred leisure centre in Hove.

Having completed two legs of the search area it was decided that both boats carry out a further search to the west of Shoreham harbour, this area would extend from the west breakwater arm to Brooklands Pleasure Park in Lancing. After completing two legs of this area it was decided to stand both boats down.

Once in the confines of the harbour HMCG Solent contacted the crews of both lifeboats and informed them that the elderly gentleman had been located safe and well by a police unit ashore.

However, the source of the water ingress turned out to be from the anchor locker draining into the hull. The boat was therefore escorted into Shoreham by the lifeboat.

The vessel was located and examined - there were no signs of anyone missing so it was towed back to Silversands in the river.

The boat was towned in to Shoreham and warped through the locks to await inspection.

When the crew arrived they discovered the cause of the alarm - a small fishing boat at anchor not displaying any form of navigation lights.

Having established that no-one was in distress, and having given the occupant some safety advice concerning the need to display lights at sea, the lifeboat returned to station.

With HM Coastguard suspecting there might be a person in the water in distress, the ILB crew made best speed to the scene, where they discovered a racing mark lying on its side which did, indeed, look like a canoe.

The crew asked the Coastguard to confirm with the first informant that they were alongside the suspected casualty. Once this was done the crew returned to station.

However, on the way back into the harbour they came across a small open fishing boat with 4 people aboard, which had suffered engine failure. The crew were holding on the inside of the western breakwater.

The ILB crew took the vessel under tow and returned it to the locks.

However the boats were stood down shorlty after launching and returned to station.

The disabled vessel was taken under tow back to Shoreham.

The vessel was towed back to harbour.

As the crew were preparing to launch further information came in that a person had been recovered alive, but unconscious, in the vicinity.

The crew made best speed and recovered the person into the boat where they immediately administered Oxygen, started warming her up and making for shore.

The casualty had been in the water for up to 30 minutes and was severely hypothermic, but as she warmed and the Oxygen took effect she regained a low level of consciousness and was able to tell the crew her name. She was landed shortly and transferred to a waiting ambulance.

Meanwhile the boat was re-tasked to a further report of a body in the water. Although it was suspected to be the same incident the crew re-launched, and having placed one crew member on the harbour arm to interview people commenced a search.

Afte a short time, and with the help of some personal effects at the scene, it became clear this was indeed the same person and the crew, having completed a thorough search anyway, were stood down.

The lady recovered from the water is understood to have made a full recovery and was allowed home from hospital later that day.