Volunteers were alerted to a boat stuck in the Hadleigh Ray off Chalkwell at 8.37pm on Saturday January 4.
They rescued the two members of crew, who were taken back to shore for health checks.
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Councillor Martin Terry has praised the RNLI volunteers (Image: Martin Terry) The RNLI rescue has been described by Southend’s Independent councillor for community safety, Martin Terry, as “demonstrating the courage and commitment of the volunteers at Southend RNLI”.
He said: “We really value and respect the specialist work they do; it adds to the overall safety picture in Southend.
“When necessary, organisations such as the Pier and Foreshore Staff, Beach Welfare Officers, Community Safety Officers, Essex Police and Fire Services will call upon them for support.
“Once again two more potential victims have been rescued, my thanks on behalf of Southend Council go to Southend RNLI”.
In a statement released by the RNLI, it was confirmed that volunteers received a request from HM Coastguard Southend for hovercraft assistance on Saturday evening.
The RNLI volunteers arrived on the scene at 9.11pm, before taking aboard two casualties from a stranded boat.
The statement added that while the causalities were very cold, they did not require medical attention and were given blankets before being taken back to shore.
Once back at shore, the statement said: “Southend RNLI volunteers prepared the hovercraft for service again, switched their pagers back on and returned home.”
A photo from the rescue shows the poor weather conditions faced by volunteers on Saturday (Image: RNLI) Southend RNLI’s volunteer hovercraft commander, Tony Bonham, said: ‘There was a cold wind with sleet falling, and we were concerned for the two casualties who were very cold.
“After a health check and wrapping them in blankets we made a relatively slow trip back to the station so not to cause any unnecessary spray and discomfort to the casualties.”
Southend RNLI is one of the busiest coastal stations in the UK and Ireland and covered around 15 miles of shore from Shoeburyness to Canvey and beyond.
If you get into trouble or see someone in trouble by the coast or at sea, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.