The lifeboat launched following a call to Thames Coastguard from a woman aboard a yacht, reporting that her husband had fallen overboard. He was still attached to the craft by his harness, but was unable to get back aboard. The yacht was two miles from Whitstable, NE of the Pollard Spit Buoy.

When the lifeboat arrived alongside the yacht a crewman was put aboard. He managed to partially lift the man from the water, so that he could be brought aboard the lifeboat. The man was very cold and disorientated, and had taken in a lot of water. He was taken back Whitstable, where the lifeboat had to make a new recovery into the carriage due to the sea conditions. Once ashore he was treated by paramedics, and subsequently taken to Margate Hospital.

Meanwhile, Sheerness Lifeboat had been launched to assist the man's wife, who was now on her own aboard the yacht. The yacht, by now off Tankerton, was taken in tow for Queenborough. As the woman was understandably very worried about her husband,  Whitstable Lifeboat re-launched to land her ashore at Whitstable.

The couple, both in their sixties and from South West London, had been on passage to Ramsgate, but had decided to divert into the Swale when they encountered rough sea conditions.