Speedboat AT 1734 on Bank Holiday Monday, August 1986, the crews of Sheerness' 44ft Waveney and 16ft D class inflatable lifeboats were alerted by the duty officer at the Medway Port Office, following reports from Thames Coastguards of a drifting speedboat in danger near to the London Stone, All Hallows.

The D class launched seven minutes later, with Helmsman Richard Rogers and Crew Member Brian Spoor on board.

An east south east wind force 4/5 was gusting to force 6 at the time of the launch and continuous rain hampered visibility. The wind was against an ebbing tide (high water was at 1717), worsening the sea conditions.

Helmsman Rogers decided to cross over a bank known as Grain Spit to reach the casualty's reported position more quickly than by the alternative buoyed channel. The route chosenwould save 10 to 15 minutes in reaching the casualty, but was a hazardous one to follow because of the numerous underwater obstacles on the way.

Because of the rough conditions, Coxswain/Mechanic Robin Castle decided to follow the ILB with Sheerness lifeboat Helen Turnbull and she slipped her moorings at 1742.

Shortly after leaving the berth it was thought that the starboard propeller was fouled, but it was decided to continue the service with the starboard engine's revolutions slightly reduced, as no vibration was felt.

At approximately 1748, the D class lifeboat approached the water tower, a mile east of London Stone and began searching for the drifting speedboat.

The search was hampered by rain and steep swells.

Some fishermen ashore appeared to be waving, as if to signal to the lifeboat, so Helmsman Rogers manoeuvred as close inshore as he dared before following the direction indicated by them.

The ILB travelled another quarter of amile, with her crew still able to see virtually nothing until, at 1750, Helmsman Rogers stopped the boat to enable Crew Member Spoor to stand up to gain extra height of eye for the search.

Despite the extreme difficulty of this manoeuvre, Brian Spoor sighted a black object in the water some 500 yards ahead to the north west.

They proceeded to investigate and upon reaching the area in which the object had been sighted, Crew Member Spoor again stood up and saw a man in the water nearby and, some 30 yards beyond, a child.

The man seemed to be swimming with confidence and it was decided to first recover the child, a 13-year-old girl, wearing a flotation aid. This achieved, Helmsman Rogers manoeuvred the lifeboat with some difficulty to enable recovery of the man, who was not wearing a lifejacket.

The two survivors were both very cold and shocked, having been in the water for more than 15 minutes and were judged by the ILB crew to be in need of hospital treatment. The girl was very frightened, as the lifeboat was being swamped frequently with seas over the bow and she was crying with shock.

The ILB crew decided that it would be best to transfer the two to the Helen Turnbull, then about half a mile away.

Because of the poor visibility, Coxswain Castle did not have the ILB in sight and so he fixed its position using the VHP direction finder as a guide.

Helmsman Rogers was asked by the coxswain to proceed towards his position for a rendezvous, but because of the worsening weather conditions and the danger of being swamped, the ILB helmsman was forced to keep the boat head to sea and was making very little progress.

Crew Member Spoor positioned the girl under the canopy for protection and tried to shield her from the incoming seas. The man, who was the girl's father, was lying prone in the bottom of the ILB, having collapsed once he had been rescued.

Brian Spoor protected him also, as well as manning the radio, until the transfer of the casualties to the Helen Turnbull took place at 1800.

Coxswain Castle had beenproceeding with extreme caution, because of the shallow water on the Grain Spit and at the time of the transfer had only four feet of water beneath the lifeboat's keel.

At 1803 the transfer of the casualties was completed, thanks to the skill of both Coxswain Castle and Helmsman Rogers in the rough seas. The lifeboats turned for home, returning at slow speed, to enable the ILB to have some protection from the weather by the larger lifeboat and for the D class to be kept under observation in the worsening conditions.

At 1826, the casualties having been attended to in the warm cabin of the Helen Turnbull, were landed ashore at Sheerness, where a waiting ambulance took them to hospital.

An inspection of the Helen Turnbull's starboard propeller revealed two blade tips to be slightly bent. These were repaired immediately and both lifeboats were refuelled and ready for service at 1921.

Following this service, the thanks of the Institution on vellum were accorded to Helmsman Richard Rogers and Crew Member Brian Spoor, of the Sheerness D class. A letter of thanks signed by the director. Rear Admiral W. J. Graham, was sent to Coxswain/Mechanic Robin Castle..