Christopher Townley, a new crew member, participated in his inaugural deployment at 4:10pm when reports came in regarding a woman in distress near the West Pier in Brighton.
The crew safely escorted the woman to the beach and handed her over to the care of the emergency services.
Later, at 6:39pm, the crew received another distress call regarding a man in the water located between the Palace Pier and Hove Lawns. A thorough shoreline search was conducted, but no individual was found.
Subsequently, at 9:20pm, two men were reported to be in distress west of the Marina. They had encountered difficulties while using an inflatable dinghy and were attempting to swim ashore. The crew successfully reunited them with their friends on the beach.
Finally, at 9:42pm, reports surfaced about a person in the water near the Brighton Centre. The crew swiftly rescued the male and brought him to safety.
Chris, a law professor at King’s College London and a member of the RNLI crew, actively participated in all four emergency responses. Reflecting on the experience, he stated, “When the first emergency call came in, my training kicked in, and I rushed to the station as quickly as possible. It was incredibly empowering to work alongside such a professional team, each member utilizing their unique strengths during the various incidents throughout the evening. The pace is relentless once that pager goes off, but upon reflection, I felt proud to have contributed to such a diverse range of emergencies. After the second response, my partner had just made me some cheese on toast when the pager beeped again, so I was immediately back out the door. I didn’t anticipate the subsequent calls to follow in such rapid succession that evening, but that’s the nature of being part of the RNLI crew—you must always be prepared.”
Ben Hylands, the helm during the last two emergencies and a crew member during the second incident, commended Chris and the entire team for attending four consecutive emergencies that kept them engaged for nearly eight hours. He expressed his pride in the team’s professionalism and effective application of their training during each task. Ben emphasized the need for prompt action and utilisation of their specialized search and rescue training, particularly during the third emergency, which involved locating two individuals in distress over 200 meters offshore. He also took the opportunity to remind everyone that dialing 999 when witnessing someone in danger in the water is the correct course of action.
Mat Humphrey, another crew member who was present for all four emergencies and served as the helm during the first two, added, “As schools break for summer and the weather warms up, we anticipate an increase in emergency calls. We want to remind people to prioritise their safety and always inform someone of their plans before entering the water while enjoying the beach.”
