TWO RESCUED AFTER BECOMING STRANDED IN ROUGH SEA OFF SOMERSET COAST
Two men have
been rescued after they became stuck in their powerboat approximately ¾ mile off
Watchet Marina, Somerset .
Swansea
Coastguard was first contacted by one of the men just before 11am this morning.
They reported that they were struggling in the strong winds and rough sea, and
couldn’t get back to the marina. The wind at the time was a force 6, gusting
over 30 mph.
The Watchet
Coastguard Rescue Team was sent to the scene, along with the Minehead RNLI
inshore lifeboat. Due to the tide and weather conditions, the RAF search and
rescue helicopter from RMB Chivenor was also sent to the scene. One of the men
was winched on board the helicopter and taken to
Cardiff hospital
showing signs of hypothermia. The other man was taken to safety by the lifeboat.
David Jones,
Watch Manager at Swansea Coastguard, said:
"The two men on
board this 3 metre powerboat had set out at 4am this morning to
do some fishing. However, the conditions proved too tricky, and they were
struggling to cope against the tide and strong winds.
"One of the men
had also fallen into the water, but managed to get back on board quite quickly.
Luckily, both were wearing lifejackets. However, they did not have a VHF radio
on board so the only way to raise the alarm was to call us on a mobile phone. We
always recommend you make an emergency call to the Coastguard from VHF radio, as
you will then tell everyone within range what your situation is. There might be
someone nearby who can help.
"With the recent
stormy conditions that have been affecting large parts of the
UK , it is also
worth remembering to check the weather and tide times before setting
out.”