RNLI crews search for person missing in River Arun

Littlehampton's lifeboat crews searched for a person reported missing in the River Arun during several callouts.
The Littlehampton RNLIThe Littlehampton RNLI
The Littlehampton RNLI

At around 7pm on Wednesday, September 12, the Ray of Hope boat and crew were sent from the RNLI station to Bognor seafront, where a man was reported to be in a distressed state.

After the man was in police custody, the crew was stood down and returned to the station by 8.50pm.

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On Thursday, September 13, Littlehampton RNLI was paged just before 6.30pm by the UK Coastguard, reporting a person in the River Arun near Ford railway bridge.

At just after 6.45pm, the station’s two lifeboats were deployed.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat Renée Sherman was tasked to search upstream of the River Arun towards the railway bridge.

Due to the receding tide the D Class lifeboat Ray of Hope headed out of the harbour to check along the coastline adjacent to the mouth of the river.

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After extensive searches, aided by the police helicopter, the lifeboats were sent back to the station at just after 8.10pm.

On Sunday, the Atlantic 85 lifeboat Renée Sherman and volunteer crew were sent to a stranded vessel near East Preston.

It launched at just after 1.45pm to the scene, three miles south east of the harbour entrance, where the boat had run aground in shallow water.

The crew towed the boat into deeper water, where it was discovered that the casualty had damaged its rudder and was having steering issues.

The lifeboat and harbour master’s rib safely moored the casualty at Town Quay. The lifeboat returned to the station at 3pm.