Tuesday, July 30 saw the emergency services called for three separate searches for missing people on the beach at Camber. The busy afternoon on the hottest day of the year followed a late-night search for a missing diver at the weekend. A man's body was recovered by fellow divers on Sunday afternoon.
At 2:48pm we were tasked by UK Coastguard to search for two missing children at Camber beach. The volunteers from the Pett Level Independent Rescue Boat were assembled at the boathouse within a few minutes and prepared to launch. Thankfully both children were safely found and we were stood down.
At 4:52pm we were tasked again to search for a missing eight-year-old, again at Camber. We launched and were on scene shortly after but received the good news that the child had been found.
We were immediately tasked again to a report of a missing vulnerable female at Camber. We conducted a shoreline search on the water, while colleagues at HM Coastguard Rye Bay, HM Coastguard- Bexhill, HM Coastguard Romney Marsh and police teams carried out a search on land.
After three hours all units were instructed to stand down.
In between the shouts, our volunteer crew at base at Pett Level were called upon to deliver first aid to a casualty who had suffered some cuts and grazes slipping on the rocks.
The search for the missing diver took place on Saturday July 27. At 8:25pm we were tasked by UKCG to help in the search approximately 10 miles off Hastings. Our volunteer crew quickly assembled at the boathouse and launched shortly after. Once on scene our crew were given search pattern instructions which they commenced.
RNLI Hastings Lifeboat Station, RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat Station and RNLI Eastbourne were all involved, as well as teams searching in the air. After approximately two hours searching in choppy conditions, our crew returned to base. With a low tide and treacherous mud and sand, it was a challenging recovery but brilliantly managed by boat and beach crew. After washing down and refuelling to be ready for service, we left the boathouse at 1am.
Next week in Rye News we will have a feature looking at the work of the lifeguards at Camber who were also involved in Tuesday's beach rescues.
