Missing Solent jet-skier in middle of major search was 'wearing camouflage jacket'

A MISSING jet-skier who has sparked a large search and rescue operation was wearing camouflage jacket, the coastguard has said.
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HM Coastguard, police and lifeboat crews are out on the water for a second day after a white and burgundy jetski was found in the eastern Solent with a phone on board yesterday.

The jetski is a Yamaha Waverunner with a ‘201 Langstone Harbour’ sticker on it and the killcord, designed to stop the jetski if the rider falls off, not attached.

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An image of the jetski has been released by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and it is thought that the rider was a male, according to the RNLI.

The jetski that was found in the Solent. Picture: HM CoastguardThe jetski that was found in the Solent. Picture: HM Coastguard
The jetski that was found in the Solent. Picture: HM Coastguard

The vessel was last seen off the coast of Lymington heading across the Solent towards Langstone Harbour.

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A spokeswoman for HM Coastguard said: ‘The coastguard would particularly like to hear from anyone who saw a single jet ski on the water with one person on board between around 6pm and 8pm yesterday, specifically in the vicinity of Cowes, Ryde Middle, Lee-on-the-Solent or Stokes Bay.

‘The jet skier is believed to have been wearing a camouflage jacket.’

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The jetski was first spotted by a passing tanker, and there are ‘definite clues’ that someone had been riding it.

Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service is one of many services called out to help with this search.

The organisation’s lifeboat was out until 2am searching the water between Gosport and the Isle of Wight.

Community director Jake Robinson said: ‘The area mainly being searched is between Southsea and Cowes, though this could be widened as the search continues.

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‘We conducted our search for six and a half hours as one of a number of agencies looking for what is presumed to be a missing person.’

Cowes RNLI from the Isle of Wight has also been asisting in the operation.

The charity has described the search as one of the largest in the Solent ‘for some years’.

Their lifeboat launched at 8.49am today, returning to base at midday.

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So far, there have been no reports that the man has been found.

Anyone with information is asked to call Solent Coastguard on (023) 9255 2100 quoting incident number 022681.

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