A harrowing sequence of events unfolded on Saturday night, leading to a speedboat’s collision with the harbour wall in Cowes before its subsequent crash in Gosport Marina, leaving three individuals injured and prompting a flurry of emergency response efforts.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary received a distress call from the South Central Ambulance Service just before 11pm on Saturday, reporting a speedboat collision at Gosport Marina. The incident resulted in three individuals aboard the vessel sustaining injuries, though thankfully non-life threatening, and subsequently being transported to the hospital for treatment.
However, revelations emerged that the speedboat had encountered trouble earlier in the evening, colliding with the harbour wall in Cowes. The dual incidents prompted coordinated responses from the police, coastguard, and emergency services.
In response to the initial incident in Cowes, the coastguard dispatched Hillhead Coastguard Rescue Team and Gosport Inshore Independent Lifeboat to assist in the rescue efforts. However, inquiries into the circumstances surrounding both incidents are still ongoing, with authorities yet to establish a definitive link between the Cowes collision and the subsequent crash in Gosport Marina.
The incidents sparked a flurry of emergency calls to Solent Coastguard, reporting a small boat’s collision with the breakwater in East Cowes. Subsequently, a full-scale land, sea, and air rescue operation ensued, spanning the Cowes, East Cowes, and upper Medina areas. Despite extensive search efforts, which persisted into the early hours of Sunday morning, no trace of the vessel was found, prompting the operation’s eventual halt at approximately 12:30am.
The ordeal took an unexpected turn when the same vessel involved in the Cowes collision was discovered in Gosport Marina at approximately 11 PM, having crashed once again. Police and emergency services swiftly responded to the scene, with the injured parties receiving medical attention.
As investigations into the incidents continue, questions linger regarding the circumstances leading to the vessel’s journey from Cowes to Gosport Marina and the events that transpired in between.
A spokesperson from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary affirmed, “Our enquiries into the circumstances of this incident are ongoing.