Whilst patrolling the western Solent during the annual Round the Island Race this morning (Saturday), Yarmouth RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat was called to 2 injured sailors, a suspected burst appendix and a grounded yacht.
The volunteer Yarmouth crew received the first request for help at 07:18 from the yacht Quokka, which had hit a submerged object just east of The Needles resulting in 1 of her crew members sustaining a broken shoulder and another, minor head injuries. Once on scene – with assistance from the RNLI’s Lymington lifeboat – 2 Yarmouth lifeboat crew were put aboard the yacht to assess the casualties and assist in their safe transferral to the Yarmouth lifeboat, which then returned them to Yarmouth harbour and an awaiting ambulance.
The second call for assistance came at 08:05 from the 48ft yacht Marathon reporting the collapse of a crew member. The lifeboat came alongside the yacht just off Hurst Castle and the casualty, with a suspected burst appendix, was transferred to the lifeboat from where they were airlifted to hospital by Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter.
Lastly, at 10:41 the lifeboat was tasked to assist yacht Ajax which had run aground on Atherfield Ledge, however when the lifeboat reached the scene the casualty vessel was found to have re-floated without assistance and was then able to proceed with the race.
With conditions relatively benign, it was mid-morning before Bembridge RNLI’s All Weather Lifeboat (ALB) was tasked by Solent Coastguard to the J70 yacht ‘Juke Box’ with 4 crew that had a problem with her rudder.
She was put under tow by the temporary lifeboat Frank & Anne Wilkinson and subsequently handed over to Bembridge’s ILB ‘Norman Harvey’, who towed her to the mooring off the Offshore Boathouse. Juke Box subsequently was able to make her own way back to Cowes.
Towards the end of the morning Bembridge ALB volunteered to go to the assistance of 4 people who had been reported as being in difficulty off Sandown Beach. In the event they had made their own to safety before the Frank and Anne Wilkinson reached the area.
