The lifeboat launched to assist a speedboat reported sinking half a mile off King's Hall, Herne Bay. Whilst en route Thames Coastguard advised the lifeboat that the speedboat had now sunk, with the four occupants in the water.

On arrival the four people were spotted holding onto various floating items from the boat. Two were recovered aboard the lifeboat, and two were picked up by jetskis which had come out from Herne Bay to assist.

The speedboat itself was floating vertically, with a few feet of the bow visible above the surface.

All of the occupants were landed ashore at Herne Bay harbour, into the care of Herne Bay Lifeguards, and ambulance personnel.

The lifeboat then returned to the speedboat and towed it, still inverted and semi-submerged, to the launching ramp at Neptune Jetty.

Before returning to station, the lifeboat recovered an air-bed, fortunately with no one on it, that was blowing out to sea in the fresh offshore wind.