A lifeboat crew have found an empty dinghy drifting at sea like the Mary Celeste.

And Dungeness RNLI can't say for sure why or how it was left abandoned.

The case is a mini-throwback to the now-legendary story of the 19th century merchant ship left floating in high seas with no crew.

Dungeness RNLI assistant press officer Simon Collins said: “It was completely unmanned when we reached it.

“Our only guess is that during the storms this winter it broke loose from its mooring and drifted out. But that would mean it was out there for weeks. We also have no idea where it had been moored.

“Anglers on the beach had spotted the vessel but it had been too far away for them to see whether anyone was on board.”

Dover Coastguard had alerted Dungeness RNLI just before 1pm yesterday, reporting that the two-man craft was drifting towards Dungeness Point.

The Morrell, under the command of coxswain Stuart Adams, arrived on the spot, half a nautical mile (about 1,000 yards) off Dengemarsh.

The Dungeness crew at first came across a small boat with one fisherman who was in no danger and was found not to be involved in this incident.

Then they found the badly damaged, empty craft and recovered it. After this they searched the area to ensure that nobody was in the water and there was no wreckage that could endanger other vessels.

After the crew was satisfied that the area was clear, The Morrell returned to her station at 1.45pm. The craft was a yacht tender just a few feet long and used to go from the shore for the boarding of yachts anchored further out in the water.

Mr Adams said: “Although this tender had been in the water for some time the anglers did exactly the right thing reporting it to the coastguard. We were happy to investigate as there could have been people in trouble. Also, this tender could have caused a hazard to shipping.”

This was also the second ever call-out for The Morrell, the new-generation Shannon Class lifeboat, which has replaced the predecessor Mersey class Pride and Spirit.

She was first called out to rescue a fishing boat off Dungeness on March 14, nine days after she went into full service for the station.

The Mary Celeste remains the greatest ever maritime mystery.

She was found drifting in full sail in the Atlantic Ocean, 600 miles off Portugal, on December 4, 1872, with nobody on board.

One lifeboat was also missing but the cargo remained on board along with the crew of seven’s personal belongings. Nobody heard from them again and nobody knows why they disappeared.

Piracy was ruled out because there were no signs of a struggle on the vessel and no valuables taken.

There was enough non-perishable food and drink left on board for six months.

The vessel was still seaworthy with no signs of damage from a mid-sea collision or storm, in fact the weather had been calm for weeks.