Amazing to hear that someone would go out in the gale force winds we experienced in the Solent earlier today. This in from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Ed
At 11:26am a member of a local Sailing Club in Portsmouth Harbour informed the Coastguard at Lee on the Solent of a person in a small dark dinghy rowing against the wind.
They had lost sight of the dinghy and were concerned for the welfare of the rower in light of the appalling weather conditions they were experiencing.
Coastguards at Lee on the Solent requested assistance from the Queen’s Harbour Master at the Portsmouth Naval Base, who tasked an MOD police launch and police RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat). Solent Coastguard also scrambled the local Coastguard rescue helicopter to the scene.
Weather conditions on scene were appalling
David Williams, Watch Manager at Solent Coastguard, said, “We were very concerned for the welfare of this rower – the weather conditions on scene were appalling with wind speeds up to 66 knots (which is Violent Storm Force 11 gusting to Hurricane Force 12 on the Beaufort wind scale) and driving rain.
“The rower was located on the mud by the police RIB; his overturned dinghy nearby. He was then taken by Coastguard rescue helicopter to Queen Alexandra Hospital, suffering from hypothermia. We believe he is now stable.
“We now know that this rower was in transit to or from his yacht in his dinghy. This is often a hazardous task and not something that we would recommend in such harsh weather conditions. His lifejacket will have contributed to saving his life by allowing him to get to the sandbank where he was then found.”
Image: Beachcomber1954 under CC BY 2.0
