The Isle of Wight’s three RNLI lifeboat stations – Bembridge, Cowes and Yarmouth – launched 112 times and rescued over 139 people throughout 2013, as figures released by the RNLI show.
Yarmouth was also responsible for saving the life of one lucky person.
Isle of Wight highlighted
Of the six examples of ‘notable rescues’ around the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that the RNLI chose to highly, half of them were from the Island:
- Bembridge lifeboat crew rescued a man who had suffered a stroke and was stranded on an old military fort in the Solent. The coxswain had to be creative and used a rather unorthodox method using ropes, a hook and a plastic stretcher.
- Volunteers at Cowes were involved in a search for an inebriated man who had plunged into the River Medina in the middle of the night. He attempted to swim the river having missed the last chain ferry for the night.
- Two men whose fishing vessel capsized and sank in the Solent in a matter of seconds were rescued by Yarmouth RNLI. One was still in his sleeping bag when the disaster happened – both were found in a life-raft some hours later.
Shanklin & Sandown, Ryde and Freshwater are covered by independent Lifeboat crews, who rely on local fundraising.
Regional Operations Manager
Reflecting on a busy year, Peter Dawes, Regional Operations Manager for the RNLI said:
“As long as people are in distress, the RNLI will be there to help. We provide a ring of safety from the beach right out to the open seas. But the first class training and the equipment needed to do the job cost money, and we are very fortunate to have such a dedicated support network among the general public. As a charity, the RNLI simply could not continue helping those in distress and saving lives without that support.”
Image: davidcjones under a CC BY 2.0 license
