Diving vessel runs aground near the shoreline

The 26ft dive vessel, Black Pearl, was taking on water near the shoreline, east of Shoreham Harbour, at 3.10pm on Saturday.

Shoreham RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched to assist and when the crew arrived on scene, they found the vessel was aground in the surf line with everyone off and on the shore, holding on to the tow rope.

As the tide was rising, two crew members were put ashore to assist with the vessel, while the third went back to the lifeboat station to collect two more crew members to help with the tow.

A paddle boarder then took the tow line to the crew on the inshore lifeboat and the dive boat was towed off the beach, into Shoreham Harbour and on to its berth at Sussex Yacht Club.

The inshore lifeboat was also launched to a report of a person in the water off Shoreham Beach at 2.40pm last Wednesday.

But as the lifeboat proceeded to the scene, the coastguard stood the crew down, as the report was a hoax call.