2 young men who were quite literary up the creek without a paddle were rescued by Cowes RNLI Lifeboat last night (Friday) in an operation lasting 2 hours.
The men, aged 19 and 20, were in a canoe which became stranded in treacherous mud at low tide in Newtown Creek.
Their cries for help were heard by the crew of a moored yacht who in turn alerted Solent Coastguard.
Lifeboat helm Jason Hughes has said:
“When we arrived on the scene we found two canoeists who must have been stranded for some while and were very cold.
“They said they had been lent the canoe by a man in an Island pub. They had been using sticks instead of paddles, and claimed they had ended up aground because of the unwelcome attentions of a seal!”
After the canoe was pulled off the mud the men, neither of whom were wearing lifejackets, were hauled aboard the lifeboat to be warmed-up. They and the canoe were then taken to Yarmouth Harbour.
Also responding to the incident were the Needles Coastguard Rescue Team and Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team, who were guided over a field to the remote location at Newtown.
The Needles CRT then met with the Lifeboat and casualties at Yarmouth.
The lifeboat, which launched into the darkness at 20:30, returned to station at 22:30.
