Boat launched : D-Class
Date : Monday 25 August
Launched at : 20:34
Returned : 20:43
Weather : Wet with a F5/6 WSW wind and getting dark
UK Coastguard alerted us to a call from a member of the public about a sailboarder just inside Chichester Harbour, to the north of the station, and in difficulties. We could see a windsurfer being blown away from the shore onto the Winner Bank and so launched the D-Class lifeboat. Whilst launching a member of the shore crew spotted another windsurfer further north in the harbour and capsized for too long. So the D-Class went to this second casualty, found a very tired windsurfer and so took him and his rig on board the lifeboat and landed him at the lifeboat station. The lifeboat, in the gathering gloom, then went back onto the Winner Bank to look for the other windsurfer, but shortly afterwards he came close to the lifeboat station to let us know he was alright. We advised him to finish his session as it was virtually dark by then and both windy and with poor visibility.
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