Coastguards on the Isle of Wight are reminding Islanders and tourists alike to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard following an incident in Ventnor yesterday (Thursday), in which only 1 person alerted the emergency services.
Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team (CRT) and Bembridge CRT were mobilised to Ventnor Esplanade at 15:21 following reports of 2 persons in difficulty and calling for help off the beach.
It didn’t take long for Coastguard Rescue Officers to arrive on scene and locate the first informant, who explained what they had seen and heard.
Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat was requested to launch and a search along the shore from land swiftly got underway.
2 individuals soon made themselves known to the search teams and confirmed it was them who had called out for help. The duo had been swept out to sea and along the coast slightly, but luckily managed to make it ashore.
Although the beach was extremely busy, Solent Coastguard received just 1 single 999 call reporting the cries for help and the developing situation. This has surpsied members of Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team, who are now urging beachgoers to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard immediately if you hear or see someone who may be in difficulty.
With the casualties confirmed as safe and well, both CRTs were immediately re-deployed to Shanklin Esplanade to assist with a cardiac arrest on the beach.
If you or someone else is in difficulty on the coast or at sea, or if you spot what you think may be unexploded ordnance, then dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Further safety information can be found at https://coastguardsafety.campaign.gov.uk/.
Get help faster by giving emergency services your exact location by using ///what3words.
what3words have divided the world into 3m squares and given each square a unique combination of three words, which means when you are in a remote area of the Isle of Wight you can get assistance much quicker without the need for local knowledge.
Disappointed that my boyfriend didn’t get mentioned for swimming 200m to help them both out the water, who happened to a lifeguard at waterside pool.
Well done!!!
Well done to your boyfriend, very brave of him!
Disappointed you didn’t call the coastguard to back him up. Although to be fair I am assuming that you were with him. Either way he should have known to get someone to call for the coastguard before he even tried a rescue. What if he had also got into difficulty. I did see him swim off after hearing the calls for help and knew someone was definitely in trouble. Well done to him for good to their aid and well done to the coast guard for doing a sterling job.
Well done him!
just so everyone is aware it was me and my brother that nearly drowned out there, appreciate that your boyfriend swam over to see if we were ok but he is hardly a hero as he got there as we were dragging our selfs back on to the rocks with no help what so ever from your boyfriend, told us if we pass out to call an ambulance and then went on his way, we screamed for help whilst two people sat on a kayak and watched as we were going under… the only person that saved me yesterday was my brother and id be dead if it wasn’t for him helping me keep my head above the water and swimming along side me. I have lived in Ventnor my entire life and have been in the sea there a million times unfortunately yesterday was one of those days when the tide was against us and we were just really lucky to have had each other otherwise this would be a completely different story, sorry to say but your boyfriend was five minutes to late and the coastguard another 20 after that..so all I can say is be careful out there the sea is as beautiful as it is dangerous ..
Yea rosie…bad that.very well done too your bf s efforts.good on him.seems people all over just arent taking care or using common sense so much more now
You’re all fools. Nobby Clarks (Navy slang for sharks) live in the sea and I have an arrangement with them; I won’t drink in their mess if they don’t drink in mine! Up spirits…
My baby dad and his brother almost drowned because they went out swimming not such a bad thing but got pulled out to far doesn’t make them fools….