Sheerness Inshore lifeboat was launched at 1658 on Wednesday 2/9/08 to reports of a speedboat with four casualties on board stuck in the mud in the River Medway at South Yantlett.

On arrival the two members of the ILB made their way to the casualties across the mud.

At 1728 the search and rescue helicopter from Wattisham was requested with an ETA of 40 minutes.

At 1845 the casualties had been taken in to the helicopter by winch and landed ashore at the Riverside Country Park, Gillingham.

It is believed the speedboat was carrying one adult, one 12 year old boy and two 15 year old girls.

Weather conditions at the time was overcast with a south westerly 4/5

Sheerness ILB was released at 1851 and arrives back at station 1907

Notes to editors:

• The Sheerness lifeboat station was established in 1969 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and is one of 224 lifeboat stations around the shores of Great Britain and Ireland.
• The volunteer crews provide a maritime search and rescue service for the Kent coast. 
• The station is equipped with a 46ft Trent Class Offshore Lifeboat called “The George and Ivy Swanson”, and a IB1 inshore lifeboat called “Eleanor”

RNLI media contacts

For more information contact Sheerness Lifeboat Station Press Officer Barry Crayford on 01795 555801 or 07851774286 or e-mail bazcrayford@btinternet.com Alternatively please contact Amy Ross, Divisional Media Relations Manager on 01473 714387 or 07786668825