Second evening call out for Margate RNLI over concerns for people in sea at Botany Bay

Margate RNLI inshore lifeboat

Margate’s RNLI inshore lifeboat took part in a late evening search last night (June 18) following concern about people in the sea off Botany,  just hours after another call to a paddle boarder in difficulties off Westgate Bay.

UK Coastguard received a report around 10pm expressing concern for possibly two people seen entering the sea at Botany Bay around a mile east of Margate. Margate’s RNLI inshore lifeboat, Margate coastguard rescue team (CRT) and units from Kent Police were tasked to investigate.

Extensive sea and shoreline searches were carried out between the area around Foreness Point and Kingsgate Bay involving the CRT checking the beach and the lifeboat searching close inshore and checking the inaccessible bays from the sea.

The coastguard teams established contact with several groups of people in the area and after the area had been searched with no further reports of anything untoward the operation was called off with the rescue units returning to station.

Peter Barker, Lifeboat Press Officer RNLI Margate said: “This was the second call in just a few hours for the lifeboat and while the second was a false alarm we are grateful to the public who are the eyes and ears for anyone who gets into difficulties along our coastline. If in doubt dial 999 and ask for coastguard.”