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Calshot Lifeboat |
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16 people, including an eight year old girl, were rescued by the Calshot RNLI lifeboats on Saturday 28 May when two yachts went aground on the Brambles Bank.
The 52ft 'Arun' class All Weather Lifeboat Mabel Williams was launched at 8.57am in response to a Coastguard request when a 35 ft yacht with 13 people on board went aground on the Brambles Bank in the Solent.
With the wind gusting to 44 knots the yacht was being pounded and there was concern for the crew. The Mabel Williams managed to take 9 people from the yacht and land them back at Calshot.
After waiting for the tide to rise, the All Weather Lifeboat returned to the yacht along with the Calshot D Class Inshore Lifeboat 248 Squadron RAF and between them both boats managed to refloat the stranded vessel.
Whilst the first rescue was in progress a second 35 ft yacht went aground on the same bank. This boat had three people on board including an eight year old girl.The girl, who was particularly cold, wet and distraught, was taken ashore by 248 Squadron RAF which was crewed by lifeboat Mark 'Lofty' Laughlin,
Mark Curtis and Tony Carrier. The D Class lifeboat then returned to assist refloat the yacht which was eventually able to continue on its way to Lymington. The little girl was driven to Lymington by the Coastguard, accompanied by lifeboat crew member Rev. Bill O'Connell.
Calshot station Coxswain Steve Harvey, who was in charge of the Mabel Williams, had been concerned with the weather during the rescues and said, "Though the tide was on the flood, the wind was gusting heavily and increasing all the time. We needed to get these yachts off the bank before the situation got any worse. I'm glad it all eventually ended safely; it's certainly been a busy start to the Bank Holiday weekend."
The lifeboats eventually returned to the station and stood down at 1.00pm.
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