Saturday morning 25th May 2025, at 9:35 AM, Newhaven Lifeboat was paged by HM Coastguard to assist a 26-foot motor vessel in distress and tow it to safety. The lifeboat crew swiftly responded, arriving on the scene and establishing a tow to secure the vessel.
Later, at 11:53 AM, the Eastbourne RNLI crew’s pagers sounded for the 57th time this year, as Solent Coastguard requested their assistance. Despite the heavy carnival traffic, the dedicated volunteers made their way to the ILB (Inshore Lifeboat) station, readying the D-Class for launch.
The mission required Eastbourne RNLI to rendezvous with Newhaven Lifeboat and take over the tow. Upon arrival, the ILB crew came alongside the distressed vessel, set up their towlines, and relieved the Newhaven Lifeboat, which then returned to its station.
During the tow back to Sovereign Harbour, one Eastbourne crew member was transferred onto the casualty vessel to maintain a vigilant watch. The operation concluded successfully as the vessel was safely escorted into the harbour lock and handed over to the marina workboat. The ILB then returned to station, where it was refueled and prepped for future missions by the diligent shore crew.
Eastbourne RNLI expressed gratitude towards the Eastbourne Carnival stewards for facilitating quick access to the ILB station, ensuring a timely response to this emergency.
