|
|
Key: ILB - Inshore Lifeboat. ALB - All Weather Lifeboat. Times given are when the crew were paged/ tasked, in BST if applicable. |
| 21.12.04
20:53 The ALB was launched to a 31' Bayliner motor cruiser that had both props fouled by a stray net. The vessel, which was some 12 miles south of Lancing, was on passage to Poole, the owner having bought and collected it that morning. This was the second time in one day he had fouled his props on a net. The vessel was towed back to Shoreham where it was warped through the locks and into the Lady B marina. |
|
| 14.12.04
23:48 The ALB was launched to a Belgian trawler, as one of its crew had acute abdominal pains. The trawler's skipper had been in contact for some hours with Ostend Radio, who had been offering some medical advice. However, the crewman's condition was deteriorating and assistance was requested from Solent Coastguard. As the ALB launched, with the station doctor aboard, the trawler entered the harbour - the skipper now anxious to get assistance to his crewman as soon as possible. The doctor was transferred to the vessel and attended the casualty, who had suspected appendicitis, while the ship was guided to a safe mooring point in the unfamiliar harbour. The crewman was then taken by ambulance to Worthing Hospital, and the ALB returned to station. |
|
| 21.11.04
01:49 The ILB was launched to help a disabled 30' Bayliner style power boat into the canal through the locks. The vessel had been towed to Shoreham by the Selsey lifeboat. |
|
| 27.10.04
13:33 The ILB was launched to reports of a body in the harbour canal. After passing through the locks and initiating a search, the crew was stood down as the body had been successfully recovered by the Police. pic |
|
| 08.09.04
17:57 The ILB was launched to a windsurfer in distress off Worthing. As the ILB arrived on scene, the windsurfer had just made it ashore with the help of a jetskier who had gone to his aid. The crew checked the casualty on the beach and returned to station. |
|
| 05.09.04
16:15 While afloat on exercise, the ILB was tasked to an incident off Lancing beach involving a floating pipeline crane and a number of beachgoers in small inflatables. However, the incident had been resolved as the crew arrived on scene. While returning to the harbour, the crew were hailed by a 20ft Dory style speedboat with 6 persons on board, with engine failure. The vessel was taken under tow and returned to Emerald Quay up the river Adur. |
|
| 29.08.04
19:41 In winds gusting up to force 7, the ALB was launched to a report of two windsurfers in trouble off Shoreham Beach. One surfer had got into difficulties, and another had apparently gone to his assistance. Neither had been seen to return. Another vessel reported having seen them up to a mile offshore, but had subsequently lost sight of them. Shortly after beginning the search however, the surfers made it to the beach on their own and were met by Coastguard units and an ambulance. |
|
| 29.08.04
15:43 The ILB was launched to search for a possible missing windsurfer, after the discovery of a board and equipment on the beach. However, after a brief search of the harbour area, the owner of the board arrived, having been to collect his car to put his kit away. Although the ILB was stood down by the Coastguard, the crew were requested to help an RSPCA officer who was responding to reports of an injured swan. As the ILB was already afloat, the crew proceeded up river, where they located the injured bird. The bird was taken aboard and brought back to the boathouse, where it was handed to the RSPCA officer to be checked over. |
|
| 26.08.04
12:53 The ILB was launched to a swimmer in difficulties off Carat's Cafe just to the east of the harbour. A female casualty, who sadly had not survived, was taken aboard the ILB and returned to the boathouse, where she was transferred to the coroner. |
|
| 22.08.04
16:39 The ILB was tasked to a 20ft power boat which had been driven onto the spending beach inside the western harbour arm. There were 6 persons on board including 2 children. The crew were evacuated on to the harbour arm to be met by the local Coastguard unit, and the vessel, with one ILB crew member aboard, was taken under tow to be returned to the Surrey Hard up river. While escorting the vessel, which had limited power, up the river, the ILB attended a small inflatable with 3 persons on board that had broken down mid stream. The inflatable was towed to Emerald quay to await the ILB on its return down river. After mooring the first vessel at Surrey Hard, the ILB collected the inflatable and the occupants, including 2 children, and returned them to Kingston Beach. |
|
| 21.08.04
17:23 The ALB was launched to a 20ft vessel off the King Alfred leisure centre which was in difficulties, and being held off the beach by the Brighton Beach Office launch. The vessel was towed back to Shoreham and the tow transferred to the ILB to take the vessel through the locks into the canal. A crew member, who appeared to be suffering from hypothermia, was transferred from the ALB to a waiting ambulance for treatment. |
|
| 06.08.04
01:26 The ILB was tasked to attend an articulated lorry that had been driven over the edge of the quay at Humphrey's Gap in Shoreham. The lorry had ended up with approximately 8-10 feet of the cab hanging precariously over the river. When the ILB arrived on scene the driver was still in the cab. The driver subsequently got out of the cab and was taken away for questioning by the Police. However, as recovery teams were working around, under and sometimes in the cab the ILB was asked to standby to provide safety cover. The ILB stayed in attendance until a little after 08:00. For pictures and further details see here. |
|
| 04.08.04
17:32 The ILB was launched to a swimmer apparently in difficulties off the beach near Shoreham. When the crew arrived on scene, the swimmer had made it safely ashore. As the ILB left the beach, the crew were tasked by the Coastguard unit on scene to investigate a vessel that appeared to have gone aground nearby. However, the boat managed to get clear of the beach shortly afterwards and no further action was required. |
|
| 03.08.04
15:22 The ILB was launched to 3 persons in a small inflatable drifting away from the shore off Shoreham. The persons were located and taken back to the beach. |
|
| 03.08.04
02:17 The ILB was launched to stand by at Worthing Pier, where the Police were attending a 15 year old threatening to jump. Police officers successfully talked the person down and no further action was required. The ILB returned to station at approximately 3.15 am. |
|
| 01.08.04
13:00 With Kingston Beach and the harbour entrance both extremely busy, the ILB was launched to 19' power boat with engine failure just outside the harbour entrance. The vessel was towed into the harbour and landed at 'Silversands' near the mouth of the river. |
|
| 01.08.04
10:25 The ILB was launched to a 25' Bayliner power boat that had suffered engine failure and collided with Worthing Pier. Another vessel had gone to its assistance and established a tow to recover the boat. The ILB reached the vessels and, happy that the tow was proceeding safely, escorted the vessels back to Shoreham. |
|
29.07.04
16:30 The ALB was tasked to support the helicopter, and in case any of the 4 divers that remained on the boat required attention. After rendezvousing with the dive boat and establishing that no further assistance was required, the ALB returned to station. |
|
| 28.07.04 An extremely busy day for the Shoreham Lifeboats. At 09:52 The ALB was launched to recover a broken down 37' yacht approximately 4 miles offshore. Then at 18:11 The ILB was launched to a 23' broken down motor cruiser south of the King Alfred leisure centre. Again, the disabled boat and crew were recovered. At 20:04 the ILB was paged to search for a person who had reportedly entered the water from Worthing Pier, possible with a lifering, who had not been seen to come ashore. Further enquires revealed that the 13 year old boy had jumped from the pier having been dared to recover the ring. The lifering and a towel possibly belonging to the boy were found but no-one had seen him leave the water. By this time the Shoreham ALB had been launched, as had both the inshore and offshore lifeboats from Littlehampton. The Coastguard rescue helicopter "India Juliett" was also on scene. The 4 boats, the helicopter, and the coastguard units ashore, together with other search and rescue units, commenced a detailed search on the water and attempted to gather further information ashore. At around 10pm, after a search lasting some 2 hours, the boy returned home safe and well. 15 lifeboat crew, along with countless shore helpers, around 25 Coastguard and other search units ashore, 4 lifeboats, and a helicopter and crew were stood down just after 10pm. Thankfully the operation had a happy conclusion. It could so easily have ended in tragedy. pic |
|
| 24.07.04
23:32 The ILB was launched to a report of a vulnerable person who may have entered the river. The boat proceeded up the river to initiate a search but was stood down shortly after reaching the footbridge as the person was located safe and well. |
|
| 24.07.04
16:24 The ALB was launched to a 25' sloop off Worthing which was reported to be having difficulty making headway. Upon arrival the crew discovered that part of the steering gear had been severely damaged and the boat had no steerage ability. One of the crew had also sustained a leg injury. After putting a crew member aboard and rigging a casualty drogue, the boat was recovered to Shoreham and the injured person taken to hospital. |
|
| 10.07.04
00:10 The ALB was launched to a large motor cruiser on her maiden voyage that had broken down south of Shoreham. After a lengthy tow the vessel was recovered to Shoreham and the ILB was launched to assist the vessel, which had no power, through the locks. The boat was then handed over to the local Coastguard unit who moored it just inside the locks. The crew left the boathouse as dawn broke. |
|
| 20.06.04
16:45 The ILB crew were paged to reports of a windsurfer in difficulties but stood down just before launching. |
|
| 15.06.04 During this exceptionally busy day the boats were launched no less than 4 times. At 15:11 the ILB was launched to a couple in a tiny inflatable who were more than a mile south of the power station. They were attempting to row ashore but a freshening offshore breeze meant they were making no headway. They were transferred to the ILB and they, and their dinghy, were landed on the beach. As the ILB was being recovered it was re-launched to investigate an abandoned (and almost identical) dinghy drifting off Worthing. The area was searched and Coastguard units quizzed some of the people on the very busy beach. After some time all units were stood down, the Coastguard being satisfied that the boat had probably blown away from the beach. Just as many of the crew got home the pagers went off again at 18:08. This time the ILB was launched to a report of people in distress in the water off Lancing. Thankfully the people managed to reach the shore as the ILB arrived on scene. Lastly at 19:45 the ALB was launched to assist Littlehampton Lifeboat with a vessel taking water off Littlehampton. The heavy duty salvage pump carried aboard the ALB may have been required. Ultimately the Littlehampton Lifeboat managed to successfully recover the vessel and reached the harbour virtually as the ALB arrived on scene. |
|
| 09.06.04
18:00 The ILB was launched to the aid of a kitesurfer whose kite had taken him onto a rocky breakwater. He was found to have sustained a leg injury and was recovered, then transferred for treatment. |
|
| 07.06.04
11:54 The ILB was launched to investigate a small dinghy with persons aboard that appeared to be drifting. The Fishery Protection Vessel 'Watchful' which had been working in the area also attended as she has some Search & Rescue capability (and 5 of her crew are also Shoreham Lifeboat crew). When the ILB arrived on scene the crew of 'Watchful' had already reached the casualty and established that they were in fact not in any distress. The ILB was therefore stood down shortly afterwards and returned to Shoreham in the company of our colleagues aboard 'Watchful'. |
|