Thanks to Mark Birch from the Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat team for this report. Ed
On Saturday 20th July at 21.20, the Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat was paged by the Solent Coastguard for an immediate launch and scrambled the Bembridge Coastguard team, to rescue teenagers in the water by Sandown Pier in a heavy swell and on shore surf coming from the North East.
Two young teenagers, male and female, had gone out in an inflatable. The surf and swell knocked them over board, both struggling as the current was taking them out to sea and under the pier. Many people alerted the Coastguard on 999, as they could see they were in great danger.
Pier staff to the rescue
Quick thinking staff on the pier lowered a life ring to the teenagers, then dragged them to the shore where they carried out first aid with the help of the coastguard.
They were then both transferred to hospital by ambulance where the male was kept in over night as he was quite poorly.
We cannot thank enough the staff of the Pier and the public that came to help. If they didn’t, we would have been looking at a very sad story.
Take care
We would like to urge people wanting to enjoy sea to have respect and to understand their own limits.
Having talked to the parents, the teenagers are very frightened and distraught about the incident.
We would also like to thank the public for the calls to the Coastguard which got the various rescue services mobilised quickly.
Image: © Used with permission of Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat
