George shares this latest news from Cowes RNLI. Ed
Testing conditions in the Solent today proved too much for the lone occupant of a yellow RIB near the Bramble Bank, leading to him being thrown into the wind-tossed water.
Fortunately, the red and yellow life-jacket he was wearing was spotted by a cross-Solent Red Jet catamaran, resulting in UK Coastguards asking Cowes lifeboat to launch to his rescue. But before they arrived on the scene the man had been plucked to safety by the Southampton Harbour launch, Pathfinder; this left the lifeboat to just track down the empty RIB, which was no longer under power thanks to the engine having cut-out because of a kill-cord.
The Pathfinder took the man to Trinity Landing, Cowes, where other lifeboat members waited, together with onshore Coastguards, in case additional assistance was required. Within minutes an ambulance arrived to take the man, able to walk with little assistance, to St Mary’s Hospital, Newport.
Shortly afterwards the lifeboat, which had launched at 1.10pm, arrived back in Cowes Harbour towing the RIB.
