Thank You To All Kent RNLI Personnel

They are amazing each and every one of them. The RNLI staff do an incredible job. As the festive season fast approaches we wish to say thank you to everyone of their fantastic teams throughout Kent for their dedication, their professionalism and saving lives throughout 2019. Thank you.

To ensure the RNLI can continue its lifesaving work this Christmas and into the future, the charity is running a major fundraising appeal, The Perfect Storm, with the aim of raising £1.8M and recruiting 12,000 new supporters.

On land, in the air and on the sea we are blessed with marvellous volunteers and paid staff who are there to help and assist us 24/7, 365. The RNLI are no different.

For those of you who might not be aware there are ten lifeboat stations around the Kent Coast stretching from Gravesend, on the River Thames, down to Dungeness.

Each year hundreds of thousand of us take a trip to the seaside. Many of us swim in it, use craft and vessels to enjoy it, and others sit and enjoy the uninterrupted view.

In 2018 – latest figures available – the RNLI stations in Kent show they saved eighteen lives and helped 572 people in distress and launched their boats 529 times.

During the festive period (24th Dec – 1st Jan) between 1979 and 2018, RNLI volunteers around Kent have launched to the rescue 160 times, saving in excess of 200 lives and aiding over 3000 people. They are truly remarkable people and we thank everyone one of them from those who go out on the boats to the volunteers who collect the donations.

At 3.10am on the Friday 25 October 2019, the Walmer lifeboat station, following a direct paging request from HM Coastguard responded to a Mayday call from a 25-foot yacht with one person on board aground and taking in water on the Goodwin Sands, four and a half miles east of the station. The person was rescued and brought to shore.

At 3.17am on 24 September 2019, Dungeness RNLI along with a UK Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter from Lydd were tasked to a sailing vessel with a man overboard in gale force winds. The causality was rescued and taken to the William Harvey Hospital.

At Margate on the 29th July the Margate RNLI rescued two 12 year old sisters who were blown out to sea on an inflatable unicorn. Both young ladies were rescued and reunited with their family. 

These are just three incredible stories of brave men and women who risk their lives to save others. To each of them and to the whole RNLI family around the UK, thank you for your dedication and professionalism.

Of course we have to say thank you to you the public for the donations which keeps the RNLI going locally, and nationally, without them lives would be lost.  To all RNLI staff in Kent and elsewhere, thank you. Stay safe and have a wonderful Xmas and a brilliant new year.

The Shepwayvox Team

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