Unmanned fishing boat and body found in Thames Estuary
The body of a fisherman was found by a RNLI lifeboat after the Thames Coastguard received a report of an unlit fishing vessel in the Princes Channel.
The 30- ft boat, which was approximately 6.5 miles north of Herne Bay, was unmanned when the RNLI located it, 29 minutes after launching on Saturday evening.
A helicopter was used to start the search and 15 minutes, later the body of a man was found.
The search for a second man was called off in the early hours of Sunday morning, however the crew of another fishing boat discovered the second casualty who had managed to pull himself to safety on the Red Sands Tower in the Thames Estuary.
Dave Parry, Whitstable lifeboat helmsman, said, “The boat was unlit and its engine was still running but there were no signs of anybody onboard.”
