Lone yachtsman with power failure calls Dungeness RNLI lifeboat for assistance

At 1 am early on Friday morning (6 June, 2008) the Dungeness RNLI lifeboat received a call from a mobile phone with the yachtsman's plight two miles east south-east of Dungeness Point. The casualty had lost all power on his yacht and with no VHF radio backup had to use his mobile phone to summon help. Crewmember Terry Ashford was put aboard casualty to assist so that the RNLI lifeboat could tow the vessel to a safe anchorage in Dover Harbour.

Coxswain Stuart Adams said ' any person putting to sea should take a VHF handheld radio as a backup rather than use a mobile phone as the RNLI search and rescue equipment does not operate with mobile phones'

For more information please telephone the Dungeness RNLI lifeboat press officer Judith Richardson on 01797 320062 or on her mobile 0792 5576569