September 21 2011. 


Volunteers on Newhaven's Severn class Lifeboat David and Elizabeth Acland have been kept busy with four call outs in three days.

On Sunday 18th September the crew were paged at approximately 03:30 to assist other emergency services with a distressed female on a structure at the swing bridge at Newhaven. The casualty was threatening to jump into the river Ouse. The Lifeboat launched its Y boat (small inflatable) where crew stood by ready to make a recovery from the water if required.

Due to the height of the tide the lifeboat positioned itself close to the west of the structure whilst the Y boat covered the east side. Coastguards then entered from the north whilst a female lifeboat crew member managed to talk the distressed woman down onto the lifeboat.

Also on Sunday 18th September the crew were paged at approximately 14:25 to two persons cut off by the tide at Birling Gap. With a large dumping surf of over six feet combined with the tide at it's maximum height the decision was made to standby for about an hour to allow the casualties to walk back once the tide had fallen slightly.

On Monday 19th September reports were received of a vessel in distress north of the spring bridge at Newhaven. The Lifeboat launched its Y boat (small inflatable) and investigated the casualty craft where they found a dog locked in the cabin. It transpired that the vessel was out of fuel and had run aground. The owner had headed off to a petrol station for fuel and the vessel was high and dry.

Coastguards located the owner and offered safety advice regarding the retrieval of the vessel and the Y boat was recovered and the lifeboat returned to station.

The Lifeboat was paged again to the same vessel at 06:55 On Tuesday 20th September following a 999 call. The owner was recovered from the mud and was taken to the station where he was found to be uninjured.