Solent lifeboats and helicopter rescue five from craft

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-33754705

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Five people have been rescued from the Solent after their small leisure boat suffered engine failure and began taking on water.

The boat's occupants made a 999 call to the Coastguard but were unable to give a precise location.

Independent lifeboats from Gosport, Hamble and Ryde, along with the Portsmouth RNLI lifeboat, conducted a search through the central Solent.

The struggling boat was located by lifeboats and a Coastguard helicopter.

A Coastguard spokesman said: "The vessel, which had five people on board, had suffered engine failure and because of the weather conditions, began taking in water.

"No-one on board was able to provide a clear position, which was partly a result of having no positioning equipment or navigational aids."

'Be properly prepared'

This caused emergency services to search over a wide area.

The Coastguard rescue helicopter based at Lee-on-the-Solent began an initial search and was spotted by the occupants of the boat, which meant that its location could then be determined.

It was then found by both the lifeboats and the helicopter and all on board were transferred to Hamble lifeboat where the paramedic from the Coastguard helicopter carried out initial medical assessments.

They were then taken to Lee-on-the-Solent where they were met by Hill Head Coastguard Rescue Team and an ambulance.

Steve Mann, senior maritime operations officer, said: "If you're going out to sea, make sure you're properly prepared and that you have some way of being located if you get into difficulty.

"VHF DSC sets are readily available. When you use them, we can then pinpoint your location and get to you more quickly."