In the early hours of Wednesday 22/02/2024, Eastbourne’s RNLI volunteers demonstrated exceptional dedication and bravery during a series of urgent search and rescue operations. The D-class Inshore lifeboat, ‘David H,’ was launched at 01:28 hrs following a directive from Solent Coastguard to search for a potentially missing person. The mission saw a collaborative effort with Coastguard Helicopter 163, various coastguard units, and police teams under challenging weather conditions and almost complete darkness.
Despite the adverse weather, the search was expanded with the launch of the All-weather lifeboat to bolster the ongoing efforts. This marked a significant intensification of the search operation, with both RNLI boats working in tandem with all participating agencies to cover more ground.
