Whilst the crew were washing down the boat and tractor from the previous call, Thames Coastguard requested an immediate launch after a yacht had reported an unoccupied inflatable dinghy blowing seawards 1 mile north of Reculver.

Due to the possibility of there being a person in the water who had fallen from the craft, a search was initiated between Reculver and Westgate -on-Sea, involving Whitstable Lifeboat, Margate Lifeboat, Rescue Helicopter 125 from Wattisham, and a Coastguard fixed wing aircraft from Manston.

At 1645 the owners of the dinghy were located. They confirmed that they had lost the dinghy earlier from the beach, and that no one was missing.