2
NEWS
Contact the Gazette for News and Advertising: 01983 402599
www.iwgazette.co.uk
The Gazette, Friday, July 2, 2010
DRAMATIC BEACH RESCUE
FOUR PEOPLE were rescued from the treacherous rocks at Blackgang beach at high tide today on Monday (June 28). The Gazette can reveal that Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 104 plucked four people from the rocky Blackgang beach in a dramatic rescue. Their boat flipped over in the waves just off of the infamous ‘wreckers’ beach Monday 28 June and rescue services were scrambled just after 2.15pm.
Coastguard rescue teams from both Ventnor and the Needles attended the scene along with Freshwater Independent Lifeboat, but crews were unable to rescue the distressed sailors, and the Coastguard Helicopter winched them to safety. A 70-year-old pensioner was among those rescued from the rocks. The Needles Coastguard set up a cliff rescue and
rope system whilst Ventnor team manned the helicopter landing site in Chale A holiday-maker who was walking his dog at St. Catherine’s Point told how he saw the boat rounding the point and was concerned about its speed. “He was driving a bit like an idiot,” said Gary Brownhill. “He was bouncing around like nobody’s business. I guess he didn’t know the tides and how
the water is around there. “The craft kept getting launched into the air – I don’t think he realised how dangerous the water is when you round the point. “We saw the helicopter arrive and we weren’t surprised to see that it was that boat they were rescuing. I think someone went through one side of the windscreen because it was lying broken on the beach.”
CRUISER SAVED AFTER FIRE ALERT
COASTGUARD search and rescue teams, RNLI lifeboat and rescue helicopter 104 were called out to respond to a boat fire in Yarmouth on Friday June 25. Solent coastguard received the distress call from a 36 foot motor cruiser “Great Escape” shortly after 12pm. The skipper of the boat informed coastguards that he had a fire onboard his vessel and heavy smoke was issuing out the engine room. The coastguard helicopter rescue 104 was scrambled from Lee-on-solent to assist in the rescue. The RNLI lifeboat from Yarmouth located the motor cruiser just off Hurst Point spit. The Coxswain launched a small tender from the lifeboat with a mechanic on board to assist the stricken vessel. On arriving the mechanic found the motor cruiser with two persons on board, the fire had been extinguished using the on board fire fighting system. Lifeboat crews assisted in refloating the vessel after it became stranded on Hurst beach. The vessel was recovered under tow and taken to Lymington, no-one was hurt in the incident.