January 11 2013.


Volunteers from Newhaven's RNLI lifeboat station were launched on Wednesday 9th January at 21:21 to a report of a person in the water off Splash Point near to Seaford Head.
 
Due to the potentially life threatening nature of the incident, Newhaven's Severn Class lifeboat 'RNLB David and Elizabeth Acland' immediately left the harbour and made best speed across Seaford Bay. The crew made ready all necessary first aid equipment and readied its daughter Y boat for possible launch.
 
The volunteer Lifeboat crew were about to commence launching illumination flares when HM Coastguard, on information from Sussex Police confirmed the hoax call.

The Lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 22:30.

One of the volunteer crew, James Day said: "We take all calls very seriously and due to the sea temperature at this time of year our swift arrival on scene was critical. In this case it was a hoax call, which not only wastes the time of all emergency services involved, but more importantly can also put lives at risk."
 

Haven News: Maybe the hoax caller would like to drop a few hundred pounds into the RNLI fund....?