Thankfully, we spend more time training and preparing for potential rescues than we do actually being called out for emergencies, but of course they do happen – and that’s when all the training, equipment, team-work and vital support we have really pays off.

We also have a lot of enquiries from people who are concerned for others’ safety (people as well as animals) on local beaches or when out at sea.

We’re also often asked to support other services such as the RNLI Rye Harbour Lifeboat, such as in a recent episode where a dog needed rescuing in the Rye Harbour area.

The crew is also often asked to provide water safety support and first aid support at local events.

Our SHOUT record for 2018 shows some of what we’ve been involved in this year:

  • 6th May 2018 (PLIRB alerts)
    • 13:44 Missing child at Camber, stood down when child found.
    • 16:30 Missing child at Camber, stood down when child found.
  • 7th May 2018 (large boat patrolling off-shore at Camber; PLIRB base monitoring local beaches)
    • Missing child reported, found quickly, no action required.
    • 16:30: Requested to assist 5 persons struggling to steer their dinghy, being taken out to sea. PLIRB recovered dinghy and towed it back to safety of the beach.
  • 15th July 2018 (possible boat in trouble / wreckage at cliff)
    • 18:50 Base and boat crew mustered to boathouse to respond to possible Mayday, involving a boat and wreckage.
    • Radio comms informed that there was uncertainty with regards to this call as it was initially received around the coast and Littlestone and then the signal came through via the Fairlight mast.
    • The crew responded quickly to the Shout and were ready to take action when requested to launch by the coastguards. The Tornado boat was launched to double-check the local coastline and cliff bases towards the Fairlight Coastguards section of the sea. Nothing out of the ordinary was identified and the crew returned safe and sound.
  • 11th August 2018  (injured person on the beach at Cliff End)
    • 16:30 approximately. The call came that a person had sustained a suspected ankle injury, on the far end of the Pett beach, around the Cliff End area.
    • Some of the crew were already in the vicinity and were quickly able to launch so that the injured female could be stretchered from the beach and back to the base. This was achieved quickly and, with no further input needed, the crews stood down.
  • 21st October 2018
    •  11:54 approximately. Mayday response, Pulfer boat launched to assist in search for missing diver.
  • 18th November 2018 (PLIRB alert)
    • 18:30 Person reported walking into sea at Camber.