Selsey lifeboat crews respond to two successive incidents over weekend

Teams at RNLI Selsey responded to two successive incidents on Saturday (June 8), helping to recover a small craft which had broken down outside Pagham Harbour and a yacht half a mile south of the lifeboat station.

The coastguard requested the first launch after receiving reports of a small craft with two people aboard had broken down near the Pagham Harbour area.

The Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) launched at 2:25pm and headed to Pagham Harbour.

At 2:37pm, the lifeboat came alongside the craft and the people aboard reported they had broken down but got the engine going again.

A spokepserson for the RNLI said: “They had departed from Chichester harbour, but the helmsman advised them against returning there and instead escorted them back to the launching ramp at East beach car park Selsey,”

At 3:15pm, the spokesperson said, the lifeboat crew and the small craft reached the ramp at Selsey where the coastguard team helped them recover the boat.

As soon as the team was done there, they were redeployed to intercept a yacht which had broken down a mile south of the lifeboat station.

The vessel, which had been seen heading west into shallow water, was spotted from the boat house as it tried to change course.

The RNLI spokepserson said: “The ILB reached the yacht at 3:28pm and, although there was a language barrier, advised him to follow them to deeper water and a safe passage to the west.”

By 3:41pm, the yacht was back in safe waters and the lifeboat crew departed to the station.