Blind Colin McArthur at the controls of the Bembridge Lifeboat. Colin is at the helm, middle, with cox Steve Simmonds, left and Christine White, right, who accompanied Colin. picture by Robin Crossley.
PICTURE GALLERY
HE may have been blind for 20 years but that did not stop brave fundraiser Colin McArthur from embarking on the latest in a series of adreneline-fuelled stunts for charity.
The 58 year old has piloted a plane, got behind the controls of a hovercraft and flown a glider in the past, and this weekend he hit the water for his latest adventure — skippering a £1 million, 15-tonne lifeboat capable of 16 knots, in aid of the RNLI and RP Fighting Blindness.
"This was a very powerful and expensive boat. The coxswain was telling me how much throttle to use and where to steer to make sure we didn’t hit any rocks. We got to full speed and it was an incredible feeling," said Colin.
"It all started by chance really. A couple of years ago we were organising a fundraiser and asked if we could hire the hovercraft to just do a normal day trip for people. Then my wife, Linda, suggested tongue in cheek they could let me drive it. We thought they would say, 'yeah right’, but they turned round and said, 'why not’.
"Since then we have been looking for new challenges and luckily people on the Isle of Wight seem happy to let me do them. We are always trying to think of the next thing we can do," said Colin, of Sandown, who started to lose his sight to retinitis pigmentosa as a teenager.
The stunt was followed on Saturday by Splash for Cash, a sponsored fancy dress swim at Whitecliff Bay, when around ten people braved the chilly September waters in costume.
The weekend raised £4,001.80 for the RNLI and RP Fighting Blindness.
Reporter: ross.findon@iwcp.co.uk
• Pictures from our online gallery www.iwcpgallery.co.uk below.
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