Cowes RNLI lifeboat was called to rescue a man trapped in shallow water and mud in the River Medina this afternoon.
The man had apparently attempted to reach a sailing catamaran at low tide near the Folly when he fell backwards into 30 centimetres of water. Although he managed to tie his hands to the swim-ladder of the boat his midriff sank in the water and into the mud below.
Eventually his plight was discovered by the Folly taxi launch, which alerted Solent Coastguards.
The lifeboat crew, led by helm Simon Hawkins, managed after much effort to drag the man free. He was then landed ashore where an ambulance was waiting to take him on to Newport’s St Mary’s Hospital for a check up.
“The man had been trapped for about 45 minutes, with much of his body under the water,” said Simon. “By then he was suffering from hyperthermia. It was a good job the tide was going out and it was still daylight, otherwise his situation could have been a lot more serious.”
