Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat Crew Storms Through Busy Bank Holiday Weekend
The Eastbourne RNLI Lifeboat volunteers had no time to rest this Bank Holiday weekend. Between April 7th and 9th, they raced to four emergency call-outs, tackling everything from missing person searches to towing stranded boats to safety.
Midnight Missing Person Search at Beachy Head
In the dead of night on Friday, April 7th, the crew sprang into action at 00:30 hrs. They launched their Inshore Lifeboat to search for a missing person near the cliff edges of Beachy Head. Despite a thorough combing of the area, the search came up empty, and they stood down at 02:45 hrs.
Secretive Incidents Keep Crew on Edge
The same morning at 10:10 hrs, the team responded to an urgent request supporting police, coastguards, and a rescue helicopter east of Belle Tout. The operation was shrouded in secrecy, with no details released due to its sensitive nature.
But that wasn’t all. Sunday dawned foggy and tense. At 07:50 hrs, the crew was called out again to assist with another confidential incident in the same area, once again working alongside police and coastguards. Yet, like before, no further information was made public.
Foggy Rescue: Angling Boat in Trouble
Not content with just two tough missions on Sunday, the crew faced a third call at 10:30 hrs. A 17-foot angling boat with two anglers on board had suffered engine failure and was lost in the thick fog. The lifeboat team tracked them down, hooked up a tow line, and brought the boat safely back to shore.
The Eastbourne RNLI’s quick thinking and bravery saved lives and eased panic during a demanding Bank Holiday. Hats off to these heroes of the coast!
