A LIFEBOAT station was called on four times over the course of a "busy" weekend.

Shoreham’s all-weather and inshore lifeboats were launched on Saturday, September 11 and tasked three times on Sunday, September 12 with the volunteer crew spending hours at sea.

Both lifeboats were launched to a report of a red distress flare seen off Worthing on Saturday at 2pm.

On route, the all weather lifeboat crew spotted the flare and located a broken down rib with two on people on board who had been fishing south west of Worthing Pier.

The inshore lifeboat took the boat to safety ashore at west Worthing.

The following day, while on a training exercise, the all weather lifeboat was tasked to a 12-metre becalmed yacht with engine failure six miles south west of Shoreham.

It has been on passage to Eastbourne with a person on board around midday.

The vessel was taken to Shoreham and the inshore lifeboat was launched to take it to the safety of the harbour.

The all weather lifeboat was then retasked to a report of three women cut off by the tide at Peacehaven.

Once on scene the lifeboat’s inflatable Y boat was launched and the women were rescued and taken aboard the all weather lifeboat.

They were then taken to Newhaven harbour.

Finally the inshore lifeboat was paged and launched at 11.30pm to a report of a missing man who may have gone into the water at Worthing.

After an extensive search, the lifeboat was stood down. The man was later found safe ashore.