An injured crewman was assisted back to shore by the volunteer lifeboat crew at Bembridge RNLI this afternoon (Saturday).
The station’s Inshore Lifeboat launched at 16:12 and the All-Weather Lifeboat launched subsequently to assist a 29 foot sailing yacht located 1nm north east of Bembridge.
Both of the station’s lifeboats had just returned from a day on the water supervising the Round The Island Race.
After a quiet day with no taskings, both boats had just completed being washed down and rehoused when the D-class Norman Harvey was requested to assist a 29 foot Westerly Konsort sailing yacht that had been competing in the race with 3 crew onboard.
The vessel had issued a DSC Mayday Alert after the skipper suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder and was in considerable pain.
It did not take the Norman Harvey long to reach the yacht and having assessed the casualty, they requested the Alfred Albert Williams be launched to provide back up support.
Once close by, 2 members of lifeboat crew and the Entenox cylinder were transferred to the yacht by Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat who were also on scene.
Having made the casualty as comfortable as possible, the Norman Harvey then escorted the yacht into Bembridge Harbour where they were met by the local Coastguard Rescue Team and after a few minutes an Ambulance.
The Inshore Lifeboat, with the 2 additional crew members from the Alfred Albert Williams onboard, then returned to Lane End and was recovered 17:54.
Stay out of Ryde tonight as there are loads of drunken football hooligans running riot and weeing everywhere…. Innit tho…. X