NEWS: Speedboat sinks in the Solent

Three people have been accounted for after the speedboat they were in began to sink in the Solent.

 UK Coastguard received a radio message just after 5:30pm this evening (1st October) from a passing yacht reporting debris in the water and that they could see a partly submerged speedboat off Gilkicker point, Gosport, Hampshire.
An adult and a child were recovered from the water by a passing vessel and taken to the RNLI station at Cowes. 

They were met by a RNLI crew member and Coastguard Rescue Officers from the Newport and Needles Coastguard Rescue Teams before being handed into the care of the Isle of Wight ambulance service.
A full scale search was coordinated by the Coastguard to locate the unaccounted for person. The Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter based at Lee-on-Solent, Gosport independent lifeboat, Ryde independent lifeboat and the Coastguard Rescue Team from Hillhead were all sent to the area along with Hampshire Police.
The unaccounted person was located in Gosport, Hampshire after swimming ashore.
The speedboat has now been recovered and towed back to shore.
Craig Needham, UK Coastguard said:
“Fortunately for the people involved vessels in the area alerted us to the sinking speedboat. If we were not made aware there could have been a very different outcome.

“It really is important that if you own a boat you get a DSC VHF radio so that you can raise the alarm if the worst should happen. A Personal Locator Beacon is also a useful and simple method for raising an alert particularly if the electrics fail” 

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