Rye Harbour Lifeboat Station

News release

Issued by Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer

DATE 13/05/2008 TIME 9 PM REFERENCE: SMT/RH/020

Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat, B-727 launches to fishing vessel 'Vic Anna'.


Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat, B-727, launched on Thursday, 08 May 2008 at 12.35 pm to fishing vessel 'Vic Anna' who had broken away from her mooring - being swept under Monkbretton Bridge at Rye Fish Market.


The Harbour Master at Rye Harbour contacted Richard Tollett, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Rye Harbour requesting the assistance of the lifeboat with a salvage pump to help with the Rye Fishing boat 'Vic Anna' who had broken away from her mooring without any crew aboard, being swept under Monkbretton Bridge and taking on water.

Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat B-727 arrived at the casualty two minutes later with a salvage pump but unfortunately the casualty had already sunk under the railway bridge, upstream on the River Rother.

Richard Tollett, RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager at Rye Harbour said:

‘One of the reasons that we train twice a week here at Rye Harbour is: you never know what the crew will have to face when they arrive on scene. In this instance it only took two minutes to arrive at the scene but unfortunately the casualty had already sunk.

Regular training is vital to allow volunteers to go to sea and save lives. Today, only 1 in 10 crew members join the RNLI with any professional maritime background’

 

END

Photo: 'Vic Anna'

Notes to editors

  1. Photo courtesy of Rye Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Station.

  2. The average cost of launching is estimated at £2,200 for an inshore lifeboat.

  3. The RNLI is a registered charity and continues to rely on voluntary contributions and legacies for income.


For more information please contact Steve Tollett, the RNLI lifeboat press officer at Rye Harbour Lifeboat Station on email: Press Officer.

  • The RNLI is a registered charity that saves lives at sea.
  • It provides, on call, the 24-hour service necessary to cover search and rescue requirements to 100 nautical miles out from the coasts of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
  • There are over 230 lifeboat stations.
  • RNLI Beach Lifeguards operate in the south and south west of England.
  • The RNLI further saves lives through sea and beach education.
  • The RNLI depends on voluntary contributions and legacies for its income.

    • Vision


    To be recognised universally as the most effective, innovative and dependable lifeboat service.Royal National Lifeboat Institution headquarters:

    West Quay Road
    Poole
    Dorset
    BH15 1HZ
    Tel 0845 1226999
    Fax 0845 1261999