Three Men Recovered From Water After Dinghy Turns Over

 Saturday, October 17, 2009
Posted 16:56 GMT 

The vessel involved in last nights incident in the Solent has now been recovered to the shoreline by the Isle of Wights Freshwater Inshore Rescue boat.

At approximately midnight last night a red flare was spotted from the Lymington River and was seen to be in the around the Thorness Bay area.

The Isle of Wight Needles Coastguard Rescue Team were turned out and a pan pan or urgency message was broadcast alerting other sea users to the flare and shortly after the Coastguard received a report of three men being picked out of the water by the crew of the yacht Mange Tout midway between Lymington and Yarmouth.

Al three were wearing survival suits and told their rescuers they had been in the water for about 40 minutes.

They had all been angling and their 14 foot angling dinghy from Hythe had turned over off Bouldner Bay as they were attempting to free a fouled anchor. They had fired two flares which had alerted passing vessels and been seen ashore. All three were also from the Hythe area in Hampshire..

The three survivors were met by an ambulance crew and the Needles Coastguard Team. None required hospitalization.

Alerts were then made overnight by the Coastguard to passing shipping to be aware of the floating 14 foot cuddy and late this afternoon the upturned craft was located about 4 to 5 miles from the point of last nights incident.

David Williams, Watch Manager at Solent Coastguard said

Undoubtedly these flares saved their lives. To be adrift in the mid Solent at midnight on a dark night albeit in a survival suit is not the best place to be. They also lost all their personal belongings when the craft turned over. Fortunately the crew of the Mange Tout saw their flare and were grateful to the others offers of help that came in after we broadcast the alert.

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 94010