Solent lifeboat crews search for two hours after red distress flare seen from Hill Head

LIFEBOAT crews searched for two hours in the pitch black after a fisherman spotted a distress flare.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The red parachute flare was ween at Hill Head at just before 2am on Sunday morning, prompting the Coastguard to organise a search.

Both Cowes RNLI lifeboat and the Ryde independent lifeboat were involved, using powerful lights on their boats to scour the waters.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Areas searched included an area of the Solent between Woodside Bay, Wootton and Osborne Bay.

Hill Head Sailing Club. Picture: Habibur RahmanHill Head Sailing Club. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Hill Head Sailing Club. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Read More
Anglican Bishop of Portsmouth announces he will retire in early 2021

Ryde lifeboat also searched Wootton Creek where possible.

‘Meanwhile the relevant Solent and creek shoreline was searched by the coastguard team,’ a statement from Cowes RNLI said.

‘Eventually the whole search was called off, with nothing found. Cowes lifeboat, which had launched at 1.50 am, returned to station two hours later.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as our new Puzzles section.