Eight people, including children, whose inflatable craft had gone aground on a sand bank at the entrance to Southampton Water led to Cowes RNLI lifeboat crossing the Solent to provide possible assistance last night (Thursday).
After launching at 19:25 the lifeboat arrived to find the 8.7metre craft was firmly aground on the Bramble Bank, with a strong south-westerly blowing. Before the inflatable could float free with the incoming tide its anchor was deployed to make it more stable. When eventually the inflatable did re-float the lifeboat escorted it up the River Hamble to Hamble Yacht Services.
The lifeboat then returned to the Bramble Bank to retrieve the discarded anchor and returned to its Cowes station at 21:10.
It was the second emergency in 24 hours the lifeboat had attended. While it was on an exercise the previous evening (Wednesday) it was tasked just after 20:00 by Coastguards to attend to a yacht; it had suffered engine failure north of the breakwater, and was drifting eastwards. After towing it to Trinity Landing, the lifeboat returned to station around 21:30.
This sounds odd. Why are 8 people including kids out in an inflatable in that location? And at that time?