NEWHAVEN LIFEBOAT SEARCHES FOR MISSING BOY
August 24 2012.
Volunteers from Newhaven's RNLI lifeboat station were launched on Wednesday 23rd August at 01:13 to search for a missing 16 year old autistic boy who had been reported missing. His bike had been found on a pontoon at Newhaven Marina near the main slipway. Newhaven's Severn Class lifeboat 'RNLB David and Elizabeth Acland' immediately launched its daughter Y boat so that all the jetties could be checked whilst the main lifeboat conducted searches throughout the marina with spotlights and night sights. After comprehensively searching the marina the main harbour was then searched. The Y boat conducted a search of Denton Island and the River Ouse to the Incinerator. Finally the lifeboat searched the inside of the west breakwater and the east side beach area. After completing the searches which took approximately two and half hours, the Lifeboat was then stood down. The Y boat was recovered and the lifeboat returned to station just before 4.00am. The missing boy turned up back at home the next morning. Coxswain Paul Legendre said: "We are all delighted that the boy has turned up safe and well as we were very concerned for his well-being at the time."