As the IslandEcho team take a well-earned break over the Christmas period, we have lined up a special 12 days of Christmas round-up of the top stories from January to December, recapping the year gone by.
Check back each day for a new story to jog your memory as we lead up to the big day.
Back in August…
A full-scale search was launched by Police and Coastguard teams after a couple reported that their children had gone missing on a popular Island beach.
Coastguard rescue teams, a rescue helicopter, Police and lifeboat crew members were tasked to Appley Beach near Ryde believing that two young boys had gone missing, potentially having been dragged out to sea by the tide.
Island Echo broke the story and within an hour the story had gone national with our photographs reaching thousands of people with the likes of Sky News, ITV and the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror running the story.
After hours of searching, nothing was found. It is believed the alert was a hoax.
Meanwhile, firefighters from across the Island were called to Reed Street in Oakfield, Ryde following reports of a house fire. Smoke could be seen to be billowing from the roof of the property, with several fire appliances including the Aerial Ladder Platform from the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue service in attendance.
