The volunteer crew of Bembridge RNLI have responded to 2 incidents off the coast of the Isle of Wight this evening (Saturday).
Bembridge’s All Weather Lifeboat was launched at just gone 17:30 to assist a 38ft unnamed yacht with damaged sails and engine failure, reported to be 4 nautical miles east of Bembridge.
The ‘Alfred Albert Williams’ hit the water and was met with moderate sea conditions in a force 4 north easterly breeze. It didn’t take long for the lifeboat to successfully locate the yacht, which was considerably closer than originally reported at 2nm.
Having established that the crew of the Littlehampton-based yacht were uninjured, a tow to Chichester was quickly set up.
Arrangements were made with Solent Coastguard for Hayling Island RNLI’s lifeboat to take over the tow at the entrance to Chichester Harbour. Once the transfer had been successfully completed, the Alfred Albert Williams returned to Bembridge and was recovered by 19:20.
However, it wasn’t long until the volunteers were back out on the water – this time in the inshore lifeboat.
Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team were mobilised to the area of St Helens Fort following reports that a number of people had taken advantage of today’s spring tide to walk out to the fort.
With fears that someone may have been missing and potentially stuck at the fort, Bembridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat (ILB) was requested to launch at around 20:04.
The ‘Norman Harvey’ conducted a thorough search of the area and the shingle causeway to both the St Helens and Bembridge shores but did not spot anyone in difficulty. The lifeboat was stood down and returned to Lane End by 20:45.
Why do these people not take official advice not to walk to Fort.
No wonder we are in such a mess with the virus!
Some of us when we left home, and School, like to think for ourselves a little, rather than having to be ‘told’ how to live 24/7.
Sometimes we get it wrong, but then OFTEN, so do those ‘telling us’ how to live.
But we prefer to think for ourselves as it is OUR life, not theirs.
Some of us find Cotton wool more of an irritant than a protection.
In this case it is the panic stricken phoning, NOT the alleged lost walker, so can’t blame them.
“fears” that someone was”potentially” stuck at the fort. So, 2 services were mobilised for no actual emergency or real reason then. Nanny state mentality.
The headline reads .fort walker searches for lifeboat crew .weird .
No ‘Fort walker search for lifeboat crew’..in the headline is correct!