Over Saturday, Sunday and 6/7 an 8 May both Littlehampton’s lifeboats were launched on five occasions to assist in the rescue and retrieval of a broken-down yacht, the reports of a distress flare being sighted and of a missing eight-year-old girl and a red flare being sighted.
At 11.52pm on Saturday 6 May, Littlehampton RNLI’s lifeboat Renée Sherman and volunteer crew launched in response to a VHF radio call to the UK Coastguard from the skipper of the broken-down yacht, which had three adults and a dog on board. The lifeboat set course towards the casualties reported location, five miles south of the Harbour entrance. On arrival at the scene the lifeboat crew rigged up a tow rope in preparation for the retrieval of the casualty to the harbour. The casualty was secured alongside Town Quay and the lifeboat returned to the station at 1.40am
At 3.37pm on Sunday 7 May the second call was received from the UK Coastguard to assist the RNLI Lifeguards, UK Coastguard Rescue Team and the Police in the search for an eight-year girl, who had been reported missing. Last seen heading towards the sea next to East Beach Café. At 3.50pm, the stations Lifeboat Operations Manager requested that both lifeboats and volunteer crews were launched, and they began the search from the harbour entrance along the shore to five hundred yards east of the café. During the search it was advised that the girl had been found safe and well near the café. Both lifeboats were stood down at 4.10pm and returned to the station.
The third call was received at 00.14am on Monday 8 May following a call from the UK Coastguard that multiple reports of a red flare being sighted off shore, had been received. At 00.24am the stations Atlantic 85 Renée Sherman and volunteer crew launched and headed out to the reported position. With no obvious casualty sighting the stations D Class Ray of Hope and crew launched at 00.49am to supplement the search. Both lifeboats searched an area from Littlehampton Harbour to Goring. At 3.45am the search was called off as nothing had been found. Both boats returned to the station where they were re-fuelled and made ready for service.“