Cowes RNLI Lifeboat Has a Busy Sunday

The first emergency concerned a 16 foot catamaran dinghy which capsized in mid-Solent off East Cowes, resulting in its lone-sailor clinging to one of the hulls.

The lifeboat responded just after mid-day, joining another rescue craft already on the scene. With the help of lifeboat crew member Andrew Stretton entering the water, the catamaran was eventually righted by the lifeboat and towed across the Solent to Calshot Spit; waiting there were Lymington coastguards, who found the man to be a little cold but otherwise none the worse from his experience. But the catamaran was found to have sprung a leak and was taking on water.

Then just after 2 pm the lifeboat was dispatched to a 31 foot racing yacht, with six people aboard, which had dismasted off Newtown. A committee boat was first on the scene and began to tow the yacht back to Cowes.

The lifeboat was called back to the Solent off Newtown for a second time later, because of a dismasting of a similar yacht. Lifeboat member Josh Matthews went aboard to clear the downed rigging, and the yacht’s accompanying powerboat began to tow it to Hamble.

However, because some of the still-attached rigging was hampering progress, the lifeboat dashed back to Cowes to get bolt-cutters.

The lifeboat was out on service for a total of four hours.

Ends

RNLI Media contacts:

· George Chastney, Cowes Press Officer, 07530 524052

· Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer (South East), 0207 6207426, 07785 296252 [email protected]

· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.

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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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.