Details of another weekend rescue from Cowes RNLI, in their own words. Ed
Cowes RNLI lifeboat battled through strong gusting winds in the Solent yesterday afternoon to go to the rescue of four people whose Spirit had literally failed them near Ryde Middle Buoy.
The Spirit was a RIB on passage from Cowes to Portsmouth when it encountered recurring engine problems and the crew apparently had trouble deploying the anchor.
Alerted by Solent Coastguards to their predicament, Cowes Lifeboat raced through driving rain and a Force 6 southerly, gusting to Force 8, to provide assistance. Although the RIB’s crew had managed to restart the engine, it soon stopped again.
The lifeboat, helmed by Matt Chessell, towed the RIB to Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club’s pontoon where spirits, for the RIB’s crew at least, were hopefully soon restored.
