This in from Cowes RNLI over the weekend, in their own words. Ed
Cowes RNLI lifeboat on Saturday morning had to evacuate a sick man from a motor-cruiser, moored in the River Medina to provide a grand-stand view of the nearby Isle of Wight Pop Festival.
The man had complained to fellow-occupants of the 32 foot Sabre of Hamble that he had severe muscular pains in a leg and felt very unwell.
Man taken to hospital
At the time the boat was among a whole fleet of craft anchored in the middle of the river, off Seaclose where the weekend festival is being held.
The lifeboat was alerted to the emergency by Solent Coastguards at 8.36 am. When the lifeboat, helmed by Patrick Moreton, arrived on the scene the man, understood to be from the Isle of Wight, was helped aboard, along with a woman companion. Shortly afterwards both were landed at Newport Quay, where an ambulance was waiting to take him to St Mary’s Hospital.
The lifeboat returned to base at Shepards Wharf Marina at 10.10 am.
Second shout in eight hours
It was the second ‘shout’ in the River Medina within eight hours.
In the early hours of the morning the lifeboat was tasked to respond to an indistinct call received by Coastguards, suggesting a dinghy had capsized near the Folly Inn, a mile from Cowes.
But after a thorough 90 minute search, in which the lifeboat crew used search-lights and night-vision goggles, nothing was found and it returned to base.
