George shares this weekend news from Cowes RNLI. Ed
Two young men who quite literary were up the creek without a paddle were the cause of a two-hour rescue operation by Cowes RNLI lifeboat this (Friday) evening.
The men, aged 19 and 20, were in a canoe which became stranded in treacherous mud at low tide in Newtown Creek. Their cries for help were heard by the crew of a moored yacht who alerted UK Coastguards.
The lifeboat helm Jason Hughes said,
“When we arrived on the scene we found two canoeists who must have been stranded for some while and were very cold.
“They said they had been lent the canoe by a man in an Island pub. They had been using sticks instead of paddles, and claimed they had ended up aground because of the unwelcome attentions of a seal!”
After the canoe was pulled off the mud the men, neither of whom were wearing lifejackets, were brought aboard the lifeboat to be warmed-up. They and the canoe were then taken to Yarmouth.
Also responding to the incident were Needles mobile coastguards. The lifeboat, which launched at 8.30pm, returned to station at 10.30pm.
Image: © With kind permission of Nick Edwards
