HM Coastguard has launched a rescue operation at The Needles this morning (Thursday) where a boat is reported to be sinking.
Yarmouth RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat, Freshwater Independent Lifeboat and Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 175 are all on scene at Scratchells Bay – the Southern side of the headland at the most Westerly point of the Isle of Wight.
It’s understood a Mayday call was issued at around 06:30, prompting a search and rescue mission coordinated by Solent Coastguard.
UPDATE @ 07:51 – It has been confirmed that 14 people have been safely rescued from a sinking motor cruiser.
At just after 06:00, the casualty vessel – thought to be ‘Channel Queen’ – reported that it was taking on water. It’s thought it may have hit an object in the water after passing close to The Needles Lighthouse.
All persons on board are safe and have been transferred to lifeboats, with Yarmouth Lifeboat now heading for Lymington Harbour where Lymington Coastguard Rescue Team are standing by.
UPDATE @ 11:17 – Photos have emerged of the stricken boat, which is listing to 1 side on rocks at Scratchells Bay.
It has also now been revealed that the 14 persons on board were taking part in a sea swim and abandoned the sinking vessel, getting into an inflatable lifeboat.
It’s thought that the sunken motor cruiser will be salvaged at a later date.
One hopes this is a genuine accident, and not an overloaded craft filled with illegals adding to our housing crisis, taken more of our diminishing countryside to force more building upon, and add more drain on our costly energy, water, landfill, and roads, let along more pressure on doctors, hospitals, education system and cost for us indigenous long suffering people.
Boring Boring Boring
Ivy is not wrong to be alarmed. Just because islanders have , as yet, not had a massive influx many would change their tune should such happen.
Talk to people who know and ignore the PC narrative from the BBC et al
Read the news article you bloody idiot! It was a swimmers support boat. It’s also not a small rigid inflatable. It is a Trader Motor Yacht
No mention in the above article it was a swimmers support boat. Just glad everyone is OK. As usual, RNLI do a brilliant job.
Also no mention of the 2 boats that answered the Mayday ca
No need to panic or bolt the doors, Ive, it’s a dive boat.
No its not. It was flying a dive flag as there were swimmers in the water. It was the next best thing as there isn’t a flag for swimmers in the water
Well said I was thinking the same
The xenophobia is astounding…
read the article dont asssummme.
If you look at when the comment was made (3 hours ago) you will see that before the update @ 11:17 there was no mention of swimmers. Also there was no pictures of the motor cruiser either.Now who is assuming!
Ive has been let out of her gabion cage for the day.
Probably carrying too many gabion cages. They should dump some of them along Great Preston Road to stop people parking there.
I was due to be swimming myself alongside this boat in a couple of weeks – just UK ‘leisure’ swimmers – nothing to get too excited about !!!
Some people love the negative spin on these brave and vunerable migrants, I would 100% rather have them as neighbours than some of the drug taking benefit scrounging couldn’t care about anyone except themselves types that cost me as tax payer far more than a migrant. Let them have the right to work to pay their way.
Without migrant workers who have been successful in asylums claims our hospitals,care homes and farms wouldn’t cope,NHS would fold ( 3 out 5 NHS workers are not born in UK).
Migrants not illegal immigrants. U are paying more for them than a dole tosser
Very well said. And rather have them as neighbours than some of the bigoted pitchfork brigade who themselves were descended from migrants!!!!
Yet ODDLY and most telling you live here well away as yet from such.
If you love the migrants that much Freddie why not take a couple in as free lodgers.
Clearly nothing to do with immigrants.
I’m pretty convinced you are a false flagger posting the most ludicrous comments in order to make those who really hold the views you purport to look even more crazy than they already are.
Get a life…
Many years ago I saw a rib come ashore at Freshwater Bay and a few
Continental persons came ashore.
Our Borders are not controlled, I guess anyone could easily come ashore if they
wanted to.
The Authorities could not stop a Bus at a Bus Stop, yet alone stop a
Boat coming ashore.
Lol
The Russian are coming
Long love putin
It has also now been revealed that the 14 persons on board were taking part in a sea swim
so, they could have just entered the water early and swam on – the boat just needs stabilising and towing
So SEA SWIMMERS got rescued from a sinking boat??
Also no mention of the 2 boats that answered the Mayday call and got them all off and onto their vessels before any emergency crew arrived!!!,I’m sure just a thank you wouldn’t go a miss,surely!!
Amazing to see late this afternoon a small inflatable with fishing rods off the back trying to board this boat from the cliff side so not be be seen from any passing boats…… until several people shouted and waved from from the old battery. It’s a grounded boat so does not class as sea salvage.
sponsored swim around the island, raising awareness of Parkinson’s and some of those taking part were sufferers of this horrid disease.