THE South Broads RNLI Lifeboat was called out in the early hours of Saturday following reports of persons canoeing on Oulton Broad in difficulty.The new �31,000 D-Class IB1 inshore lifeboat Jean Ryall was launched for the first time on service at approximately 3.

THE South Broads RNLI Lifeboat was called out in the early hours of Saturday following reports of persons canoeing on Oulton Broad in difficulty.

The new �31,000 D-Class IB1 inshore lifeboat Jean Ryall was launched for the first time on service at approximately 3.20am along with the station's smaller XP Class lifeboat, Broads ILB 2, to search and quickly managing to separately locate both a kayak and paddle which were believed to have been stolen from nearby.

Broads ILB2 returned to the station with the kayak while the Jean Ryall continued to search the area looking for signs of other canoeists or the occupant, but after a thorough search by the lifeboats, Coastguard and RNLI personnel performing a bank search, Yarmouth Coastguard called off the search.