Coastal Watch station log, Sussex Police incident log, and Border Force radio traffic. Extracted and cross-referenced, months later, for a tribunal file that was never permitted to reach a full hearing.

Coastal Watch station log, Birling Gap (D. Bhatt, volunteer watchkeeper)

0515 — On station. Visibility poor, patchy mist as forecast.

0540 — Visibility under ten metres. Dense fog, unusual speed of onset, slow to lift.

0603 — RF monitor reading anomalous. No corresponding vessel traffic on any channel.

0609 — Investigating on foot.

0611 — Unusual sighting. Male, no vessel, unhurt, cooperative. Requesting Coastguard and police attendance urgently.

0900 — Fog cleared as forecast. Incident ongoing. Handed to Coastguard, police, awaiting further instruction.

Sussex Police incident log (extract, times as logged by Control)

06:14 — Call received, Coastal Watch station, Birling Gap. Caller reports unidentified male, no vessel, no distress apparent. Caller notably calm; assessed as reliable.

06:17 — Units dispatched.

06:41 — First unit on scene reports "unable to categorise incident using standard codes." Requests supervisor attendance.

07:02 — Supervisor confirms: no offence apparent, no missing person match, no vessel located by Coastguard sweep. Male cooperative throughout, declines medical assessment, states he is "not cold."

07:55 — Press activity noted at scene. Cordon requested.

09:20 — Case escalated to Border Force / national coordination per standing protocol for "unresolved arrivals of uncertain provenance."

Border Force radio traffic, Newhaven control (partial transcript, C. Reid attending)

REID: Base, watch station. I need an unusual sighting logged. Male, no vessel, nothing reported in the area overnight. He's on the cliff path, unhurt, cooperative. I'll need Coastguard and police up here as soon as you can raise them.