Maritime and Coastguard Agency
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Drink and stupidity lead to two in the water at Studland
Portland Coastguard have been co-ordinating in the wee small hours of this morning a search for two young people who took off from a beach in a dinghy just after 3.00 am this morning with no visible means of propulsion.
A call to the Coastguard from a female, a resident of Wimborne, who was on the beach at Studland near Poole, described the two young friends of hers, a male aged 20 from Verwood and female, 18, from Horton. All three came across to the area by Sandbanks ferry earlier yesterday evening, and had taken a white wooden dinghy from Shell Bay Marine and put to sea around 40 minutes earlier than her call.
In the darkness she had lost sight and sound of them, and was clearly concerned for their safety. She described how she had been shouting for them but had had no answer.
The two Swanage lifeboats, inshore and all weather were asked to launch in the benign conditions and began searching around the south side of Studland using search lights in the darkness. The local Coastguard Rescue Team were also turned out to try and locate the first informant on the beach. It was clear through the conversations that took place that all three young people had clearly been drinking heavily.
Shortly thereafter another call came in to the Coastguard from an entirely unconnected group of lads, also on the beach but further away who identified they could hear shouting coming from seaward side. Using that information and searching in the area at around 4.00 am this morning, the all weather lifeboat crew discovered both missing individuals in the water, with one clinging to a buoy. Seemingly the dinghy had capsized and sank, pitching them both into the 11 degree Celsius water.
An ambulance was called and both people were brought ashore in a poor state with the girl slipping in and out of consciousness and taken to hospital. A Police unit also attended the scene.
The three had clearly been intent on spending sometime on the beach as the Coastguard gathered up clothing, pillows, windbreaks, etc from the beach to hand over to the Police.
Bruce Lack, Watch Manager at Portland Coastguard said
"Drink and stupidity played major parts in this incident with the two young people in serious danger of losing their lives as a result. From taking a boat with no oars to having no lifejackets or means of communication in the darkness in open sea is sheer madness fuelled by drink and bravado.
"We cannot stress enough how dangerous this kind of game can be, and that it is only at this time of year the sea is slightly warming, but not enough to put you beyond danger of severe hypothermia after prolonged immersion. The dulling of the senses by alcohol coupled with the cold shock of unexpectedly plunging into seawater can be a killer.
"We would particularly like to thank the group of Irish lads also on the beach for their public spiritedness in alerting us to the cries of help they heard."
