At 1 pm this afternoon, the Eastbourne RNLI volunteer crew sprang into action for the 61st time this year after being paged by HM Coastguard.

The emergency call came from a concerned member of the public in Normans Bay, who reported seeing a kayaker and a paddleboarder being swept out to sea by an offshore breeze.

Responding swiftly to the call, the volunteer crew assembled and launched the Inshore D Class lifeboat “David H” within a remarkable 11 minutes of receiving the alert. They navigated to the reported location of the casualties and initiated a search. Meanwhile, the crew onshore remained ready to deploy the All-Weather Lifeboat “Esme Anderson” if needed.

Upon reaching the scene, the crew meticulously plotted a search grid and commenced efforts to locate the paddleboarder and kayaker. Despite challenging weather conditions and strong winds, both individuals were found approximately 2 miles offshore. The crew wasted no time in rescuing them and safely returning them to the beach at Normans Bay, where they were reunited with their families and greeted by local coastguard rescue teams.

Following the successful rescue operation, the volunteer crews were stood down and returned to the station. They diligently washed down the lifeboat and readied it for any future tasks.

A spokesperson for the RNLI praised the quick thinking of the first informant, stating, “The first informant acted admirably by promptly dialling 999 and alerting the coastguard, providing crucial information about the location of the individuals in distress and refraining from attempting a rescue themselves.”