Another call-out for busy Brighton RNLI volunteers as they rescue a struggling angling vessel

The volunteer crew at RNLI Brighton rescued a struggling angling vessel on Monday (April 25).

An RNLI spokesman said the vessel had a flat battery meaning not only had the engine cut out but there was no radio and no lights meaning there was a high chance of collision.

The spokesman added: "The two passengers on board managed to ring the coastguard on their mobile phones and Brighton’s lifeboat crew received their call out at 20.37pm. The boat was located 1.5miles south of Brighton Marina and towed back to the Marina by Brighton's in-shore lifeboat Random Harvest."

The two people on board were safe and well.

Lifeboat operations manager Roger Cohen said: "It’s fortunate that the situation didn’t deteriorate in this instance. A vessel with no lights is in a dangerous situation due to the chances of them not being seen by others. The crew did a great job as always, particularly in this instance spotting the vessel in the fading light.

“It is vital that anyone going to sea ensures their boats are fit for purpose and that any passengers on board have alternative means to ask for assistance such as a VHF radio as well as a mobile phone.”

The rescue on Monday was the sixth call out for Brighton in 11 days following two busy weekends for the crew.

On Saturday (April 23) the volunteer crew launched at 2.09pm after reports a small dinghy with three people onboard was in trouble.

At the time of the call, the dinghy was west of Brighton Marina, about 400m out. It had launched from the beach but was being blown further out by a northerly wind and there were issues restarting the engine. The Random Harvest launched and quickly got to the dinghy. The occupants were taken onboard the lifeboat and the dinghy was towed back to the marina.

The crew were then tasked to two casualties on a paddleboard being blown out to sea off Saltdean. By the time the lifeboat arrived they were 1-2 miles offshore. They had a telephone and had called 999 as the wind was too strong and they could not get back. When the lifeboat arrived, one had been in the water for nearly one hour.

The pair were taken to the lifeboat station in Brighton Marina.

Brighton Lifeboat Operations Manager Roger Cohen said: "We are pleased that both paddleboarders were OK. When there is a strong offshore wind you can quickly find yourself a long way from the shore and it can be extremely difficult to get back as this pair found out."

The volunteer lifeboat crew received three call-outs over the Easter bank holiday weekend – including a first shout for a new helm.

Brighton’s in-shore lifeboat Random Harvest launched at 12.50am on Good Friday (April 15) to assist Sussex Police in helping to get a man out of the water opposite a seafront club. Fortunately, the man was already exiting the water when the crew arrived and there was no assistance needed.

On Saturday (April 16) the lifeboat launched at 8.55pm to concerns a male may be missing in the water. A search was carried out between the West Pier and Hove Lagoon before the crew received confirmation the man was safe and well.

The final launch of the long weekend was at 5.53pm on Monday (April 18) along with Shoreham RNLI all weather lifeboat and the Coastguard to reports of a missing swimmer.

Following an extensive four-hour search of the area, it was confirmed by Sussex Police that this was a false report.

The Saturday call out was volunteer Mat Humphrey’s first shout as Helm and also trainee crew member Rhiannon Darling’s first launch.

Mat, who also works as an artist and board game designer, said: “On April 14 I qualified as a helm, following six years as part of the RNLI crew. It's a role that I feel comfortable in, as the training I've received has been absolutely incredible.

"I've been to sea in dark storms, towed stricken vessels, pulled drowning people out from treacherous waves and even dangled from a helicopter winch over the sea.

"As the Easter weekend shows, you never know what you are going to get called out to but we are always prepared to do the best we can in every situation to achieve our ultimate aim of saving lives at sea.”

There will be a beach safety ‘pop up’ event taking place this Saturday (April 30) in front of Rampion Arches i360 area from 11am-4pm.

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