Isle of Wight, United Kingdom – RNLI crew rescued a man who fell into the water after being struck by his vessel’s boom during the Round the Island powerboat race on Saturday 16 May.

The inshore Atlantic 85 lifeboat Sheena Louise was launched at 11:30am to patrol the race. At around 1pm, while heading towards the eastern Solent, crew members heard a pan-pan call over the radio reporting an incident involving an elderly sailor who had fallen overboard. The call was later upgraded to a mayday as the situation became life-threatening.

The lifeboat crew made best speed to the location and found the man still in the water, holding onto a rope secured by two members of his vessel’s crew. RNLI personnel instructed the crew to ease the tension on the rope, allowing the casualty to drift into a position where he could be safely recovered onto the lifeboat.

The man had been in the water for around 20 minutes before being brought aboard. After an initial assessment, he was taken back towards the RNLI boathouse to warm up.

Gosport Lifeboat later arrived and assisted by escorting the vessel back to Trinity Landing, before it continued to its berth at East Cowes marina.

Ventnor Coastguard team members attended alongside ambulance personnel. The man was reported to be warm and well and was later transported back to East Cowes marina to rejoin his crew.

Cowes RNLI helm Myles said the casualty and crew responded appropriately and that the correct safety equipment, including a lifejacket with crotch strap and radio communication, helped ensure a swift rescue response.

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