Margate RNLI call out to concern for man in sea off main sands

Margate’s RNLI inshore lifeboat,(RNLI Margate)

Margate RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat was used for its first emergency call yesterday (October 6).

The Alfred Alexander Staden was launched after concern was expressed for a person in the sea off Margate’s Main Sands.

A member of the public reported seeing a male strip to his shorts and enter the sea in particularly unpleasant weather conditions with a fresh north-westerly wind and moderate sea around 6pm. The informant lost sight of the person and UK Coastguard alerted Margate’s RNLI inshore lifeboat along with the town’s Coastguard Rescue Team.

A detailed shoreline and inshore waters search was carried out but with no further information and no reports of anyone missing the search was terminated, the call recorded as a false alarm with good intent.

Peter Barker, Lifeboat Press Officer, Margate RNLI said: “This was the second similar call in less than a week and we strongly urge people not to enter the sea in such bad weather conditions. The water is particularly cold now and someone can soon be overcome in the surf with less chance of being seen now the beaches are empty.”