Cowes lifeboat responds to concerns over windsurfer
A windsurfer spotted by on-lookers to be off his board and apparently struggling in the sea off Gurnard led to the launching of Cowes RNLI lifeboat this evening.
People ashore raised the alarm after seeing that the man had come off his board and seemed to be in difficulty as he drifted westwards in the tide.
After launching at 4.15 pm the lifeboat crew, however, found he had in fact managed to swim close to the beach at the Little Gloster without assistance; they then merely stood by as a precaution until reached the shore – bringing the surf-board with him.
The lifeboat returned to station at 4.40 pm.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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