A CONCERNED resident called a lifeboat crew after spotting what they thought was a capsized dinghy near Mistley.
However, when the Harwich Inshore Lifeboat arrived at the scene they found the item of concern was a rowing boat with a person onboard.
Concerns were raised after the boat was initially reported to have no visible occupants amid “significantly lower temperatures” on Sunday.
An RNLI spokesman said: “The ILB crew expertly navigated the shallow channel past Mistley and proceeded towards Manningtree as the tide receded.
“While approaching the scene, they spotted the rowing boat aground on the mud off Manningtree Sailing Club.
“Regrettably, due to the challenging conditions, the ILB could not approach any closer, requiring additional assistance.”
The Holbrook Volunteer Coastguard team was called to take charge of the operation and the Harwich crew were stood down.
“Upon returning to the station, the dedicated crew members were grateful for a hot drink to warm them after their challenging mission,” continued the spokesman.
“However, there was a bittersweet note as they discovered that there was no cake left from the day's fundraising cake sale."
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