Cowes RNLI lifeboat assists sinking racing catamaran
Cowes RNLI lifeboat, while on precautionary patrol in the Solent for powerboat races from Cowes this (Sun) morning, was directed to a participating 32-foot catamaran in danger of sinking.
The emergency occurred when the boat, with three people aboard, began to take on water off Newtown Creek, while participating in the Cowes-Poole-Cowes event.
First on the scene was a race committee boat, which called for the event’s pilot vessel to tow the catamaran into shallow water. The lifeboat assisted with attaching the tow-line, and then stood by as the committee boat went on to tow the catamaran to Southampton Water.
The lifeboat, which had launched for the race at 10.53 am, was dispatched to the catamaran at 11.06 pm, and eventually returned to station at 1 pm.
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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 142,700 lives.
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