Weymouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat was launched at 0.35am on Friday 3rd September to search for an overdue motor vessel with seven people on board.
The vessel with 2 adults and 5 children onboard was believed to be making its way to Weymouth from Shell Bay Poole where it had been towed by Swanage lifeboat the day before after running aground near Swanage.
The vessel had last been seen at St Albans Head at 6pm on Thursday 2nd September by the National Coastwatch and was making laboured progress South of Kimmeridge.
Checks by Coastguard CRT teams of Weymouth Marinas and Portland Port cctv revealed that it had not arrived.
The lifeboat carried out a shoreline search from Weymouth to St Albans Head in case it was on the rocks, along with a 2 mile radar sweep, before searching by radar and eye further from the shore in 2 mile search grid.
At 1.20am the Coastguard helicopter joined in the search carrying out an intensive offshore search.
The Coastguard and all search assets had not been able to make radio contact with the vessel.
At 3.40am, with a thorough search of the area having been completed and nothing found, the lifeboat was stood down and returned to station.
The RNLI would always advise those going to sea to inform the Coastguard of where they intend to go with an estimated time of arrival and a message to them when they are safely at their destination.
