Three rescued after boat sinks off Sussex coast
Lifeboat crews were called to the scene on Sunday (April 21st)
Three people have been rescued by RNLI lifeboat crews after their boat sank in the seas off Worthing.
Crews from the charity's Littlehampton base had completed a training session with colleagues from Shoreham when they received a mayday call at 11.40am on Sunday (April 21st).
Both boats responded to the call in choppy waters some 4km south of the town.
At the scene only the upper part of the bow of a small motor vessel was visible above the water and the three occupants who had ended up in the sea had fortunately already been recovered aboard a fishing boat that was present.
One of the casualties was particularly cold and had a minor cut so they were transferred firstly to Littlehampton’s lifeboat then onto the Shoreham lifeboat where warm shelter could be provided.
Both boats headed to Littlehampton, with Shoreham lifeboat mooring at Town Quay and Littlehampton lifeboat returning to the station. The casualty was cared for at the lifeboat station where, on arrival, paramedics concluded there was no need for further medical attention.
HM Coastguard confirmed that the fishing vessel involved in the rescue had returned the other two casualties to Brighton Marina.
Nick White, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Littlehampton lifeboat station, said:
‘Although a bright sunny day, cold northerly winds had resulted in choppy sea conditions and these can prove challenging for small boats.
"The seas nearshore at this time of year are still cold at around 10oC so ending up in the water unexpectedly can lead to cold water shock and hypothermia.
"Fortunately vessels were close by and able to recover the casualties from the water before the RNLI arrived on the scene and we thank them for responding as the casualty vessel sank in a matter of moments."