Plea goes out from Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service to find missing teddies after boat capsizes in Portsmouth Harbour and 10-year-old girl is taken to hospital

A 10-year-old girl and her grandparents were thrown into the sea when their dinghy rolled over near Hardway, Gosport, on Saturday. The girl was taken to hospital as a precaution as she had swallowed sea water.

The grandmother and the girl were plucked from the water by a passing yacht and the grandfather was picked up by a smaller craft which helped fish their belongings from the sea.

However, one bag, containing two teddies, went missing during the rescue and is being desperately sought. One bear is the child’s father’s childhood teddy and is 40 years old. It was last seen in a plastic bag.

Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service’s lifeboat and two police boats were called to help.

The lifeboat was launched by HM Coastguard at around 4pm to the incident near HMS Monmouth, which is moored in Fareham Lake, Gosport.

The lifeboat’s paramedic crewman, Richard Brady, was transferred to the assisting vessel.

He said: ‘All three of them had been in the water and the young girl had swallowed a considerable amount of sea water.

‘This can be very dangerous as there’s a risk of secondary drowning, so she was transferred to an ambulance crew who took her to hospital.’

The grandmother and grandfather were both warmed up and treated for shock.

Gafirs lifeboat coxswain James Baggott said: ‘All three of them were lucky a yacht saw what was happening and helped.

‘The crew of that vessel should be commended for their assistance as they undoubtedly saved the situation from escalating.

‘After we assisted the family it became clear that a bag with two teddies that was much loved by the child had been lost.

‘If anyone spots it they can contact the Gafirs team via our website and we will help reunite it with the family.’

An appeal for the missing bag and teddies has also been issued on Facebook and mariners are requested to keep an eye out for it on the shoreline.

The incident was one of five Gafirs attended during the weekend.

So far this year, the independent lifeboat service – not part of the RNLI – has been launched 47 times in the Solent.

For more visit Gafirs.org.uk