Pregnant woman and partner rescued from upturned trimaran
Two people were taken to hospital by helicopter this
afternoon after their trimaran capsized one nautical mile off Dungeness Point.
Dover Coastguard received a report from a member of the public at 3.00 pm that
two people were in the water, clinging to the upturned hull.
The Coastguard contacted the HM Customs cutter, ‘Valiant’ which
was already out on the water. They were able to get to the vessel within minutes
and as they neared it, spotted a red flare which had been fired. The cutter stood
by the vessel, ensuring the safety of those in the water and marking the
upturned hull. Meanwhile the Coastguard had requested the Dungeness RNLI
lifeboat to launch and the couple were picked up from the water and brought to
shore, then taken to William Harvey Hospital by the rescue helicopter from RAF
Watisham. They were cold and shaken by the ordeal but otherwise unharmed.
Bob Giles, Dover Coastguard Watch Manager said:
“The couple were thrown into the water after their vessel
capsized. Both were wearing lifejackets and the man, ensured that his partner
was safe, then tied a rope around himself and dived under the vessel to
retrieve a flare so that he could alert rescuers to their position. Because
they had AIS (automatic identification system) on board they were easy to
locate and so were rescued quickly.
“The member of the public who made the first call to the
Coastguard did exactly the right thing by calling 999 and asking for the
Coastguard. It meant that we were able to get rescuers to the scene within
minutes of the vessel capsizing.”
The hull of the upturned trimaran from which the couple were rescued.