This in from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in their own words, Ed
At 5.07pm on Sunday 6th October 2013, Solent Coastguard received a 999 call from a father and son who were trapped on mud banks in Portsmouth Harbour.
They were only able to give their position as somewhere in Portsmouth Harbour and Solent Coastguard initiated a search of the water between Gosport and Portsmouth.
Helicopter called in
Portsmouth and Hillhead Coastguard Rescue Teams along with Gosport lifeboat and Queen’s Harbour Master (QHM) managed to locate them on a mud bank but neither a life boat nor Coastguards could get out to their position, so they were airlifted by the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Solent at 6.24pm. The pair were very cold and were checked for signs of hypothermia.
The father and (adult) son had been paddling from Portchester to Gosport on kayaks when they grounded and were stranded on a mud bank with a falling tide.
“Know your exact location”
Watch Manager Lucy Tanner at Solent Coastguard says,
“Not knowing your position is a problem in an emergency as it will take longer to find you. Always prepare for likely conditions out on the water, bearing in mind that your journey can take longer than planned. Get trained and make sure you know your exact location at all times.”
Image: Mike Baird under CC BY 2.0
