Seven lifeboat stations involved in 21 hour search for missing anglersA complex service on 14 April 1991 involved all seven lifeboat stations from Dover to Newhaven, lasted 21 hours and involved searching of an area of 3,400 square miles for two missing vessels. As a result three lives were saved from one casualty, but sadly two bodies were recovered from the second.The alarm was first raised at 2310 on 13 April, when Dover lifeboat station was asked by the coastguard to search for an angling dinghy seen signalling for help.

Ten minutes later, in a NNE Force 7 to 9, Dover's Thames class Rotary Service with Coxswain Hawkins at the helm launched and proceeded to her allocated search area.

At 0045 the Dungeness lifeboat Alice Upjohn was launched under the command of Coxswain William Richardson . The launch was hazardous, with a strong on-shore wind creating a heavy swell. One crew member was swept off his feet by the breaking seas but no damage or injury was sustained. That the boat was launched at all was due to the skill and quick reactions of the tractor driver.

When the lifeboat cleared the beach she pitched and rolled violently in the steep swell of more than 12ft, heading for the search area in winds gusting to Force 11.

At Littlestone the honorary secretary had heard of the search on his radio and offered the services of his station's Atlantic 21, the rigid inflatable launching at 0048 in a NE Force 7 with severe gusts and rough seas.

By 0100 a full-scale search was under way in difficult conditions with the Dover, Dungeness and Littlestone lifeboats assisted by a rescue helicopter.

Missing As this continued another craft was reported missing - and the search was now on for two dinghies with a total of five people.

Two hours later, at 0300, the Littlestone lifeboat returned to station to refuel and to change crew, who were by now suffering from tiredness and exposure in the unprotected high speed inshore lifeboat.

As yet there had been no sign of the missing angling boat, but Coxswain Richardson of Dungeness lifeboat suggested that in view of the prevailing wind it would be wise to shift the search to an area west of Dungeness power station.

The coastguard agreed and once the search of the new area was complete the crew took a short rest in the lee of Dungeness. They had been on the exposed deck of the Rother for some hours taking turns in the extreme cold to operate the searchlight. Despite the difficulties it was this crew which located the first casualty at 0605 - a small boat with three men aboard who were suffering from exposure, exhaustion and hypothermia.All three were taken to Dungeness boathouse, where a helicopter took them to hospital.

The three men had seen the search around them but were powerless to indicate their position.

Only thirty minutes after her return to station Dungeness lifeboat was put back on her launching carriage and re-launched at low water to search for the second missing vessel, a 17ft cabin cruiser with two anglers aboard and last seen off Dungeness.

The Dover lifeboat Rotary Service was also diverted to search for the second casualty and was taken well out into the English Channel where seas were very rough with a cold north-easterly wind.

Changed At 0740, Dover coastguard requested the services of the C class Rye Harbour inshore lifeboat to join the other lifeboats in the search. She put to sea at 0808 and carried out a zig-zag search from Dungeness Point to Fairlight and extending 1.5 miles out to sea.

After completing a sweep of the whole area the lifeboat returned to station at 0957.

The crew of the Littlestone lifeboat was changed back to the original members at 0815 and her search continued until the whole of the inshore sector had been thoroughly covered. The lifeboat was stood down by the coastguard at 0930, because of the bad weather conditions.

Eastbourne's Rother class lifeboat Duke of Kent with Coxswain Corke in commandbecame involved at 0955 while on a routine Sunday morning exercise. The lifeboat proceeded to her allotted area and searched for six hours, investigating numerous pieces of flotsam before being stood down at 1622 when the casualty was located.

At 0942, Dover's Rotary Service headed for Boulogne to refuel, returning to mid Channel to search throughout the day until, at 1623, she was asked to join the Hastings and Newhaven lifeboats to search an area in which an upturned vessel had been reported.

Newhaven's Arun class lifeboat Keith Anderson with Coxswain/mechanic Michael Beach in command had just returned from another service when Dover coastguard requested that she too join the search for the missing small boat. At 1100 the Arun had proceeded to Greenwich Light Buoy, 22 miles from her station, and had carried out a creeping search from 1225 until 1514 when she too was asked to rendezvous with the Dover and Hastings lifeboats.

Deteriorated Finally, Hastings' Mersey class lifeboat Sea/ink Endeavour with Coxswain Fred White in command was launched at 1052 in a NNE Force 5 to 6 and moderate seas. She too had been asked to join the search close inshore and then progress to seaward adjacent to Hastings. Conditions deteriorated rapidly and she was at sea for eight hours with a continuous lookout on deck in NNE winds of Force 6 to 7.

The capsized vessel was eventually located by the rescue helicopter, at approximately 1622 some 26 miles from Hastings.

The Hastings lifeboat took the cruiser in tow, but slipped it when the helicopter reported two bodies in the water nearby. The bodies were eventually recovered by helicopter, but when the lifeboat returned the cruiser had sunk. Sealink Endeavour returned to her station at 1854.

Letters of thanks have been sent by the Chairman to Coxswain WiHiam Richardson and tractor driver Mr Kenneth Coleman, of Dungeness lifeboat station; from the Director to crew, shorehelpers and honorary secretary Mr Chistopher Wren of Dungeness station, to Coxswain Tony Hawkins and the crew members of Dover station, to the crew of Littlestone-on-Sea lifeboat and to Coxswain Fred White and the crew of Hastings lifeboat station; and from the chief of operations to Coxswain/mechanic David Corke and Eastbourne crew, to the crew of Rye Harbour, and to Coxswain/mechanic Michael Beach and the crew members of Newhaven lifeboat..