George shares this latest news. Ed
Cowes RNLI lifeboat went to the aid of a 28-year-old last night who quite literally had a sinking feeling aboard his newly acquired jet-ski.
UK Coastguards had been alerted that a man had been spotted sitting on a half-submerged stationery jet-ski in the shipping lane, off Osborne Bay. Although he had managed to swim to a passing RIB before the lifeboat arrived, he was then taken aboard the lifeboat.
Clearly suffering from the cold, he was rushed back to the Cowes station to recover.
Jet-ski towed to harbour
Then the lifeboat returned to the jet-ski to begin an alongside-tow to the public slipway next to the station. With much effort from lifeboat members and a tow from a well-wisher’s truck, the machine was eventually brought up on to The Parade.
The jet-ski owner said he had bought the jet ski second-hand for £4,500, only three days before. The machine suffered some sort of mechanical problem after he had crossed the Solent from Lee on Solent.
Free passage home
Finding that the man had no money, Red Funnel kindly agreed he could travel free of charge on a Red Jet to Southampton, where a friend would be waiting to drive him back to his home in Gosport.
