Group swept from Ramsgate’s East Pier confirmed as Dutch yachtsmen

Emergency services at the scene Photo Tobias Taylor

A man who died after being swept off the East Pier in Ramsgate yesterday (April 30) and two others who were rescued, were Dutch yachtsmen, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has confirmed.

A fourth man was also rescued although it is thought he was not with the Dutch trio.

A Kent Police spokesman said: “The man who died on Monday 30 April following an incident in Ramsgate harbour has been identified as a man in his 60s from the Netherlands. The next of kin has been made aware.

“A report is being prepared for the Coroner.”

Ramsgate RNLI was called to a report of three people being washed off of the pier at around 10.30am. The report came from fishing vessel Columbus.

Paramedics and two air ambulance crews joined the Coastguard, RNLI and police at the scene.

South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed two men were taken to Kings College Hospital in London but the third yachtsman died at the scene. The air ambulance has recorded the man’s cause of death as drowning.

Photo Keiron Willson

A Ramsgate RNLI spokesman said: “Both lifeboats launched to a report of three persons washed off the harbour wall, under port control.

“The inflatable life boat arrived on scene and found two persons in the water whom they managed to get aboard and brought back to the Lifeboat Station into the care of the awaiting paramedics.

“The ILB then went back to the scene to get the third person who was on the harbour wall with injuries. The ILB laid alongside the wind farm support vessel Amethyst which was assisting with the incident and used the vessel to get up onto the harbour wall.

Both RNLI boats were called out to emergencies yesterday Photo Malcolm Kirkaldie

“The casualty was then placed in an RNLI stretcher and transferred to the Amethyst who then brought him to the Lifeboat Station, where he was handed over to the paramedics.

“The ILB and Amethyst returned to the scene as a fourth person was spotted, sheltering from the weather and was transferred to the Amethyst, then to the ILB. He was then brought back to the Lifeboat Station to warm up.”

The operation involved ambulance crews, 2 air ambulances, 1 Coastguard Helicopter and several police.