A LIFEBOAT crew set out on a wild goose chase on Tuesday (January 10) after receiving reports of a dinghy in distress.

The two people aboard the small craft, spotted near Woolwich at around 3pm, were thought to be struggling against a strong tide as they used two pieces of wood as makeshift paddles.

Gravesend RNLI raced to find the hapless pair but when they arrived they found the dinghy moored to Woolwich Arsenal Pier, with the occupants having left the scene.

The day before, the crew were called out to another false alarm when they were diverted from exercise to attend to a victim of a suspected heart attack aboard passenger vessel, the Moon Clipper, alongside Greenwich Pier.

Tower Lifeboat was also called, and arrived at the scene shortly before the Gravesend team. Crews from both lifeboats assessed the casualty and waited for the ambulance to arrive.

After paramedics had given the man a check-up they found he was, in fact, perfectly well.

Life savers

Gravesend RNLI is situated in Royal Pier Road. It is one of four stations on the River Thames and was established in January 2002 as a result of the findings from the inquiry into the Marchioness disaster in 1989, which resulted in the loss of 51 lives.

For more information, visit the Gravesend RNLI Facebook page or follow them on Twitter @gravesendrnli.