Two men were rescued from the sea on Saturday evening after their 15ft vessel sank in shallow waters at the entrance to Littlehampton Harbour.
The volunteer crew of the Littlehampton RNLI were alerted by HM Coastguard shortly after 7.30pm on 12 September 2026. The casualties were located approximately 100 metres south of the harbour entrance, where they had been forced to abandon their sinking craft.
Due to a low spring tide at the River Arun entrance, the water levels were unusually shallow. When the rescue crew arrived, they found the two men standing in waist-deep water next to the remains of their vessel.
The Littlehampton RNLI launched its D-Class lifeboat, Spirit of Fidelity, to reach the scene. The men had successfully used flares to signal for help, which allowed the lifeboat crew to identify their exact position quickly in the fading light.
The emergency response was coordinated by Chris King, the Littlehampton RNLI launch authority, who left a wedding reception to oversee the operation.
The incident highlights the impact of tidal conditions at the harbour entrance, where the combination of the River Arun’s flow and spring tides can create rapidly changing water depths for local mariners.