The lifeboat, along with coastguard shore teams from Sheppey and Herne Bay, and an RAF Sea King helicopter from Wattisham, searched for a female swimmer missing from the beach at Leysdown.

After two hours, now in total darkness and the area having been thoroughly covered, the search was called off until first light.

At 2242, as the previous incident was ending, Whitstable Lifeboat was requested to assist the yacht Ruby, broken down 0.5 miles NE of the Spaniard Buoy. A crewman was put aboard, and the yacht taken in tow for Whitstable.