2026 Launches - Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station

Latest Callout Information for 2026

Details below on our latest callouts for Ralph, Atlantic 85 B-949 and Susan Scott, D-808.

On Wedesday 14th October at 2.42pm RNLI Atlantic 85, Ralph, launched at 8.40pm to a houseboat which was taking on water, a mile off the coast at Orford.

RNLI Harwich Lifeboat Station were also paged and their all-weather lifeboat arrived on scene at 9.25pm.

Both crews attempted to drain the water, but without success. The Harwich crew took over the tow and the #AldeburghLifeboat crew were stood down at 11.10pm.

Aldeburgh’s lifeboat returned to station, Ralph was washed down, refuelled and back on service at 12.15am.

Tim

On Saturday 26 September at 6.05pm, Aldeburgh RNLI was tasked by HM Coastguard to a speedboat aground at the mouth of the River Ore, at low tide. There were four people on board, including two young children.

The D class lifeboat, Susan Scott, was launched into the river using the Aldeburgh Yacht Club slip. The lifeboat arrived on scene at 7pm and assessed the situation.

The lifeboat helm decided the children were starting to get cold and should be taken off the boat for safety. The two children and their mother were taken to Shingle Street, where a friend was waiting on the shore to take them by car back to Aldeburgh.

The lifeboat returned to the speedboat. As the tide was rising, the speed boat was able to float off the mud bank. Under its own power it made its way back to Aldeburgh.
At 7.35pm the lifeboat was stood down and made its way back to Aldeburgh Yacht Club, where it was recovered and taken by road back to the station. The lifeboat was cleaned, refuelled and made ready for service by 9.05pm.

Lizzie Clark, from a shout in August 2026

On Sunday 30 August, RNLI Aldeburgh was tasked by HM Coastguard to a 33 foot barge which had lost power and was drifting to the shore near Orford Haven. One person was on board.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were paged at 2.06pm and the Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Ralph, launched at 2.17pm. At 2.41pm the lifeboat arrived on scene.

The volunteer crew confirmed that power could not be restored, and an anchor could not be safely deployed to avoid beaching the vessel. Following RNLI guidelines, the helm made the decision to tow the barge to the nearest point of safety, a mooring near Orford.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat returned to station, was washed down, refuelled and back on service by 6.48pm.

Susie Potter, photo taken at a training exercise in June

On Tuesday 11 August at 2.42pm RNLI Aldeburgh was tasked by HM Coastguard to a 21 foot motor vessel which had lost power at the mouth of the river Alde and Ore. Ten people were on board – five adults and five children.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat, Ralph, launched at 2.55pm. The D-class inshore lifeboat, Susan Scott, launched into the river at Aldeburgh Yacht Club to assist, at 3.55pm.

The volunteer crew confirmed that power could not be restored to the motor vessel and, due to the number of children on board and the obstruction to other boats in and around the river mouth, the decision was taken to tow the boat back to Aldeburgh.

The lifeboat and motor vessel arrived at Aldeburgh at 6.45pm. All passengers were checked by the casualty care team and confirmed to be well, if a little tired.

Both lifeboats returned to station, were washed down, refuelled, and back on service by 8.50pm.

Lizzie

Today, at 9.04am, RNLI Aldeburgh was tasked by the coastguard to a kite surfer in difficulty off Shingle Street, approximately 6 miles from Aldeburgh lifeboat station.

The crew were paged at 9.09am and the Atlantic 85, Ralph, was launched at 9.23am. There was a fresh breeze with good visibility, and the lifeboat reached the scene at 9.47am.

Arriving on scene, the Aldeburgh volunteers transferred the kite surfer to the lifeboat for a casualty care assessment. It was agreed to transport the casualty to the Coastguard team at Shingle Street for further assessment.

The Aldeburgh Atlantic 85, Ralph, returned to station at 10.29am. The lifeboat was washed down, refuelled and back on service by 11.07am.

On Saturday 18 July at 3.10pm, RNLI Aldeburgh were tasked by the Coastguard to a 5 metre yacht with a broken mast, in the river, approximately 1.5km south of the Aldeburgh Yacht Club.

The volunteer lifeboat crew were paged at 3.14pm and the D-class inshore lifeboat, Susan Scott, was launched into the River Alde and Ore at 3.40pm. The crew were on scene at 3.46pm, and confirmed that five people were on a 5 metre yacht with a broken mast. The yacht had been drifting towards the reeds at the side of the river when they alerted the Coastguard, but had since gained control of the boat. The Lifeboat escorted the yacht to the nearest point of safety, Aldeburgh Yacht Club.

The D-class lifeboat, Susan Scott, returned to station, was washed down, refuelled and back on service by 4.41pm.

It was the ‘first shout’ for Aldeburgh RNLI crew member Alex, who started volunteering 10 months ago. He had recently passed the Crew Emergency Procedures course at RNLI Headquarters in Poole and, on Thursday 16 July, been formally recognised as ‘safe to go on service’.

If you see someone in danger in open water, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard