Bembridge Lifeboat and Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter are currently involved in a search and rescue response following a VHF radio ‘pan pan’ call received just before 12:30.
As well as the search and rescue helicopter and Bembridge’s All Weather Lifeboat, Portsmouth RNLI and Gosport lifeboat are involved in the incident.
Vessels in the area are being asked to keep a sharp look out. Anyone with any information at all (or to report an accidental radio pan pan transmission) is asked to contact Solent Coastguard on VHF Channel 16 or by calling 02392 552100.
Bembridge Lifeboat launched at around 13:35 and has travelled west up The Solent towards Wootton.
Coastguard Rescue 175 has conducted a search of Sandown Bay and has now relocated to sweep up and down The Solent between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth.
The incident is ongoing.
UPDATE – The search, which was prompted after a Mayday call was received stating an unknown vessel was taking on water and sinking, has concluded.
Nothing was located, despite the large scale search.
It’s the latest in a series of similar call outs.
Which was it? Pan pan or mayday. Or does the journalist just not care?
We believe it was a Mayday, but the official line from the Coastguard press office is that it was a Pan Pan.
Either way it looks like a malicious call, hell bent on wasting emergency service time and putting people at risk.