Red Flare Triggers Midnight Lifeboat Drama in St Mary’s Bay!
Lifeboats and Coastguard Rush to Scene
Just before 9pm last Thursday, a frantic call from a member of the public sparked a full-scale emergency response in St Mary’s Bay. Reports of red flares lighting up the night sky near the Cabu by the sea sent the RNLI Dungeness lifeboat, the Littlestone lifeboat from New Romney, and Coastguard Search and Rescue teams scrambling to the scene.
Distress Signal Sparks Search
Red flares are a well-known maritime distress signal, often fired as rockets or held in hand to signal danger. The Dungeness all-weather Shannon-class lifeboat “The Morrell” launched swiftly at 8.55pm, kicking off a systematic search pattern towards the flare sighting area.
Armed with radar and powerful searchlights, the RNLI crew scanned the waters for stranded vessels or people in trouble while Coastguard teams combed the coastline on foot.
Second Lifeboat Joins Hunt
Reports of additional flare sightings prompted the Littlestone lifeboat to join the operation, focusing on the shoreline. The Dungeness crew, after completing their initial sweep, liaised closely with the Coastguard to gather more intel before expanding their search further out into the bay.
Search Ends Without Finding Casualties
The RNLI and Coastguard investigated multiple radar targets throughout the night. Thankfully, no casualties or vessels in distress were located. The UK Coastguard Operations Centre in Dover continues to coordinate the search and will update if anything new emerges.
More to follow…
