Shoreham’s RNLI inshore lifeboat crew responded to the incident about 1/4 mile from Shoreham Harbour, at around 11.30am on January 16.
The outrigger rowing boat was first noticed to be in difficulty by the volunteer Shoreham National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) who alerted HM Coastguard.
It kept the boat under observation until Shoreham RNLI’s D-class inshore lifeboat, the Joan Woodland, arrived on scene.
Despite the group’s experience, the RNLI said they had been “caught out by sea conditions” and were unable to keep up bailing out the amount of water entering the boat.
Shoreham RNLI got the vessel under tow, taking them ashore to bail out and then escorting them back into the harbour and to the Sussex Yacht Club, where they were met by the local volunteer coastguard team.
Adam Fox, inshore lifeboat helm, said: “We were happy to be able to help the four outriggers who got into trouble. It just goes to show that even those who are experienced can get into difficulties, but they were all doing the right thing by wearing lifejackets, and we’re grateful to our friends at NCI Shoreham who saw that they were in trouble and alerted the coastguard.”
Jonathan Ellman-Brown, one of the outriggers rescued and chairman of the Shoreham Outrigger Canoe club, said: “After launching safely on the high dropping tide off Shoreham Beach we took on a critical volume of water just south of the harbour entrance. We could still somehow paddle the submerged four-man outrigger canoe, it was just particularly inefficient.”
He also thanked the teams which helped bring them to safety.
“Had it not been for the RNLI, we’d have struggled for a lot longer when we were already tired, which may have ended up with us abandoning the canoe. Our canoe recovery training that we practice each year with the Sussex Yacht Club safety boat teams paid off big time.
“Thanks to the NCI, the crew on the lifeboat and all the back stage volunteers, including Shoreham Coastguard, for your diligent and selfless work keeping all of us seafarers safe.”
Stephen Hand, watch-keeper on duty and Chair of the NCI, added: “It was a privilege to assist highly professional colleagues at Solent Coastguard and Shoreham RNLI and be part of successful multi agency teamwork to recover the outrigger in difficulties. Everyone involved did what they do best.”
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