Between 18 and 27 May, both lifeboats at Aldeburgh RNLI have been tasked by the Coastguard for a total of four shouts.
On Saturday 18 May, at 3.56pm crew pagers sounded and the inshore lifeboat,
Susan Scott, was launched to aid a multi-agency search for what a passing yacht thought was a person in the water off the coast of Aldeburgh.
At 4.50pm the all-weather lifeboat, Freddie Cooper, joined the search. After several hours the search was called off as a false alarm with good intent. Both boats returned to Aldeburgh boat house and were washed down to go back on service.
On Wednesday 22 May at 2.32pm, the Coastguard tasked the all-weather lifeboat,
Freddie Cooper, to respond to a Mayday received from a yacht taking on water. The yacht had not provided its position or details that could aid the search, so after a few hours the search was called off without locating the boat.
Freddie Cooper returned to Aldeburgh boat house and was washed down and placed back on service.
On Thursday 23 May at 5.34pm the inshore lifeboat, Susan Scott, was launched in response to reports of a paddle boarder stuck on the mud in the river Alde near Iken church. The lifeboat arrived on scene at approximately 6.10pm and upon initial assessment the crew realised they could not get close enough to the casulaty due to low water. They asked the Coastguard for assistance and Rescue 163 helicopter was scrambled from Lydd.
Three fire appliances from Ipswich Princes Street and one from Aldeburgh also attended, with mud rescue gear and training, along with Shingle Street and Aldeburgh Coastguard units. At approximately 7.10pm, the casualty was winched from the paddle board, the helicopter paramedics assessed the casualty and the lifeboat was released to head back to the station.
Susan Scott returned to Aldeburgh boat house at 8pm, was washed down and back on service by 9pm.
On bank holiday Monday, 27 May, the pager sounded at 5.39pm with reports of a kite surfer in difficulty, 200 metres off Shingle Street car park. The inshore lifeboat,
Susan Scott, was launched. After a short search the kite surfer was found and she was returned to shore to be assessed by paramedics.
Susan Scott returned to Aldeburgh boat house at approximately 8pm, was washed down and back on service by 9pm.
The RNLI advises that if you see someone in trouble in the water, or a boat that needs urgent assistance, call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard. Once you have called for help stay at a safe distance and do not enter the water, then keep watch until help arrives.
If you are taking part in open water swimming or any watersports, invest in a personal flotation device (PFD) - a buoyancy aid or lifejacket - and a personal locator beacon (PLB). The type of PFD or PLB you choose will depend on the activity you are planning to do. You should always choose a device that has been tested and approved to UK or Irish standards.
Notes to editors
The RNLI was founded in 1824. More than 144,000 lives have been saved since 1824.
Aldeburgh lifeboat station has been operating since 1826 and has been part of the RNLI since 1852. Since formation, their lifeboats have launched 1,267 times and saved 693 lives.
RNLI Media contacts
For more information, please contact Jo Litt, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer:
[email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or at
[email protected]
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.
