Man and his dog rescued off Sussex coastline as helicopter joins emergency response

The Shoreham RNLI Lifeboat Station said Wednesday (June 18) was a ‘busy afternoon and evening for our lifeboat crews’ who were ‘diverted from their training exercise sessions’ to two calls for assistance.

“The all weather lifeboat responded to search for a missing person who was believed to have entered the water at Goring,” a social media statement read.

"While the search was continuing with local coastguard teams and other emergency services, HM Coastguard diverted the all weather lifeboat to immediately proceed to Brighton to a report of a person in difficulty in the water with a dog.

“Our inshore lifeboat was then tasked to take over the search at Goring. Once on scene it was established that the missing person had been safely located ashore.”

Meanwhile, the RNLI in Brighton and the coastguard rescue 175 helicopter were ‘also launched to assist’ with the search east of Brighton Palace Pier towards Brighton Marina.

The statement continued: “Shoreham lifeboat crew and the helicopter crew spotted an orange distress flare which had been let off by a vessel.

“They proceeded to the scene and found a person with a dog in a vessel in need of assistance.”

RNLI Brighton volunteers then took the casualty under tow to Brighton Marina to ‘awaiting coastguard teams’.

The Shoreham team were stood down and returned to the station.

Photos from the scene showed Border Force and police officers in attendance.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: “Police assisted HM Coastguard following a report of a man in a boat off the coast of Brighton on Wednesday. The man and a dog were safely brought to shore and passed to Border Force officials.”

In an emergency coastal situation, always phone 999 and ask for the Coastguard.