UPDATED: A search is underway at Bouldnor near Yarmouth this evening (Friday) for what is thought to be 2 missing persons.
A large number of Police units have gathered at the Horse and Groom pub car park on the main Newport to Yarmouth road, with further units patrolling the Hamstead Drive and Cranmore Avenue areas. They have been joined by The Needles Coastguard Rescue Team.
Island Echo understands that emergency crews are searching for 2 people who have gone missing on the north coast of the Island, however further details are currently unavailable. The search is being centered around Bouldnor, Ningwood and Cranmore.
Further assistance has been requested in the form of Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team and WightSAR, who are currently both en-route to the scene.
The National Air Police Service helicopter from Bournemouth has also been scrambled.
UPDATE @ 18:30 – An elderly couple – a man and a woman aged in their 80s – have been successfully located by Coastguard search teams, with the operation now switching focus to bring the duo to safety.
In the last few minutes Yarmouth RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat has been requested to launch to extricate the casualties via the water.
The National Police Air Service helicopter from Bournemouth has been stood down.
UPDATE @ 18:50 – Yarmouth Lifeboat has arrived off the Hamstead coast to extricate the man and woman to Yarmouth Harbour, with the assistance of paramedics and Coastguard Rescue Officers.
The couple, who were reported missing this morning after failing to return from a walk, are not thought to have been seriously injured. They have been on the beach for over 6 hours.
UPDATE @ 19:40 – The incident has been brought to a close with both casualties now safely on the shore at Yarmouth Harbour.
They are due to be conveyed to St Mary’s Hospital as a precautionary measure.
