Cowes RNLI launched on service yesterday (Thursday) following a report from the large car carrier, Asian Breeze, that a life ring had been spotted in the water near West Ryde Middle buoy.
The volunteer lifeboat crew launched at the request of Solent Coastguard at 14:40 in a bid to find the life ring, which had been reported to be drifting south east towards Osborne Bay.
Storm Doris had yet to abate. The wind was blowing west of North, force 7 gusting 8 in the open Solent to the North and West. But the relatively sheltered Eastern Solent provided slightly calmer waters for a search and the life ring was rapidly recovered into the lifeboat. Its origins remained unclear, there being no identification markings and it was obvious that it had spent some time in the sea.
Unsurprisingly, given the weather, there were few vessels in the vicinity and they were approached and quickly eliminated as a possible source.
With no further information and no sign of anything untoward, Cowes lifeboat returned to station at 15:15.
