Bembridge’s All Weather Lifeboat is out of action after damaging a propeller during a shout on Sunday night – the same incident that has left Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat off the run too. HM Coastguard mobilised several assets to the Shanklin and Luccombe area late on Sunday night in response to concerns for the welfare of a woman. Resources called upon included Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat and Bembridge RNLI, as well as 3 Coastguard Rescue Teams. Island Echo understands the woman was also at the centre of a near identical call out, also in Luccombe, the previous night. As previously reported, Sandown Lifeboat’s launch and recovery tractor was swamped by the waves during the early hours of Monday morning. As a result, Sandown’s independent lifeboat is now off the run and is afloat at Bembridge Harbour, until such time that a new launch vehicle is operational. 
Now, it can be revealed that Bembridge’s multi-million-pound Tamar-class lifeboat sustained significant damage during the ‘rescue’ of the woman. The damage is such that the lifeboat has been unable to launch all week, with a temporary replacement still being arranged by the RNLI. With both lifeboats unable to respond to call outs, the entire East Wight is now being covered by Bembridge’s D-class inshore lifeboat – although this has operational limits far below that of both Sandown Lifeboat and Bembridge’s All Weather lifeboat. The nearest other lifeboats at Portsmouth (inshore) and Selsey (All Weather). On Monday, Sandown Lifeboat was unable to respond to reports of persons in the water at Yaverland. The following day Bembridge Lifeboat was unable to respond to an emergency on board the cruise ship Caribbean Princess off Ryde. A spokesperson for the RNLI has told Island Echo:
“During a shout on Sunday 11 August the all-weather lifeboat at Bembridge sustained damage to its propeller. “The lifeboat is currently undergoing repairs and a relief boat is in the process of being assigned to Bembridge very shortly. “The in-shore lifeboat at Bembridge remains on service and the flanking stations have been made aware of the situation”.
