The lifeboat was launched at 20.36 after a report from Thames Coastguard that a 76 year old male, alone on his yacht, was suffering chest pains and sickness.

At 20.41 the lifeboat arrived alongside the yacht, which was anchored half a mile off Tankerton. Although the casualty did not have any chest pains by now, he was clearly unwell and was too weak to stay onboard his yacht.

He was transferred onboard the lifeboat and a lifeboat crewmember remained with his vessel whilst he was taken ashore at the Whitstable Lifeboat Station and handed into the care of an ambulance crew.