Cowes RNLI comes to the aid of Audacity, which was sinking off the Isle of Wight. Picture courtesy of Cowes RNLI.
VIDEO
A SAILOR struggling to keep his damaged dinghy afloat in rough conditions off the Isle of Wight was rescued by Cowes lifeboat last night (Thursday).
The man, whose 18ft Foxcub dinghy Audacity was battered in 45-knot gusts against rocks off the East Cowes breakwater, resulted in it losing its rudder and being 'holed’.
He alerted Solent Coastguard at around 6.45pm, said a Cowes RNLI spokesman.
Fortunately for the sailor, the lifeboat crew were undergoing training at their harbour-side boathouse and were quick to respond to his distress call, said the spokesman.
Crewman Peter Cunningham jumped aboard the waterlogged dinghy and pumped out water to save it from sinking.
The lifeboat, helmed by Scott Arminger, towed the dinghy along the River Medina to East Cowes Sailing Club.
The operation ended at 8 pm.
See the Cowes RNLI video of the rescue below: