Four lifeboats launch to search for a person in the water.

The volunteer crew were woken up by the sounds of their pagers and the boat was launched a short time later. Both Poole lifeboats and Mudeford lifeboat had also been tasked to the incident and were beginning search patterns as Swanage ALB rounded Old Harry.

HM Coastguard passed search instructions to the navigator on board the lifeboat, which was plotted on the lifeboat's electronic chart systems. Swanage's search pattern complimented the other asset's patterns, was further offshore and with longer leg lengths, in an attempt to most effectively cover the huge search area.

Swanage ALB had 4 crew on deck with 3 powerful searchlights and began the search at 12.34am, the pattern was calculated to last around 4 hours. A little over an hour later, with nothing yet found, 2 crew were swapped from the comfort of the wheelhouse to spend time on deck.

At around 2.00am, nearly half way through the search pattern, new instructions were received from the coastguard, reflecting the latest calculated target area. The new pattern was started 15 minutes later slightly further east.

This pattern took a little over an hour to complete, during which time the lifeboats from Poole and Mudeford had completed their searches and been released to return to their respective stations - all with nothing found.

In turn, Swanage ALB was released at 3.15am and returned to Swanage for a wash-down. The volunteer crew left the station at 4.00am to get some sleep before the day ahead.

ALB Crew: (Coxn) Tom Greasty, Steve Williams, Alice Haw, Neil Brooks, Ben Bamber, Scott Turner
Shore Crew: (Winchman) Nigel Bower, Archie Burgess, Jeremy Stein

For more information please contact:
Becky Mack, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, [email protected]
Charmaine Tideswell, Volunteer Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, [email protected]
Regional Media Manager Hatti Mellor, [email protected]
or the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,700 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.