Lifeboat Crew paged at 15.28 for Immediate Readiness.

Cromer lifeboat 'Royal Shipwright' launched at 15:45 to a EPIRB (Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacon) approx 22miles NNE off Cromer.

Also on scene were the standby vessels PUTFORD PUFFIN, PUTFORD ATHENA & PUTFORD ENTERPRISE including 2 of their fast response boats (302 - 303) plus Rescue Helicopter 125.

They were later joined in the search by the Caister Lifeboat 'Bernard Matthews II'.

Gt. Yarmouth Coastguard gave Cromer lifeboat co-ordinates for a parallel search pattern, with the first waypoint being 33nm North of our station, which took us outside the OUTER DOWSING SHOAL, just beyond the GUINEVERE gas field. Each leg of the search was 22nm long with a 2nm spacing.

We had completed the first leg and a few miles of the second, which placed us between the WAVENEY and LANCELOT platforms at 18:05 when the Coastguard contacted us with new instructions. We were now tasked to proceed 29nm SE of our position to the DELLA Gas field.

While en-route and through discussions with the Coastguard it was clear that the search area had been saturated with vessels and aircraft searching for the source of the distress beacon and that there was nothing to be found.

At 18:40 Cromer lifeboat was released from the search and headed home.

Coming ashore at 20:15 the 'Royal Shipwright' was recovered by the shore crew, refuelled, washed down and made ready for service at 21:15. 

Crew

John Davies (Coxswain)

Paul Watling (Mechanic)

Ady Woods

Ady Barker

Adam Lincoln

Rob Jackson

Iain Chambers

Shore Crew

Chris Gill (Tractor Driver)

Mike Wass (L&R)

Craig Davies (L)

Seb Gasse (L&R)

Paul Russell (L&R)

Jason Stuart (L&R)

Mearl Brown (L&R)

Martin Steward (L)

Marty Newlands (L)

Colin Begley (L&R)

Richard Kirk (R)

Nick Lowe (R)

Graeme Stallard (R)

Craig Rogers (R)

David Heir (R)

Richard Annis (R) 

Richard Leeds (L)

Peter Stibbons (L&R)