Cowes RNLI lifeboat spent over three hours taking part in an intensive search of the Solent and the River Medina this evening, after fears that a woman had fallen overboard from the Southampton to East Cowes car ferry.
The woman was reported to have disappeared from the Red Funnel ferry, Red Eagle, off Cowes Castle as the ship was about to enter Cowes Harbour.
Solent coastguards alerted Cowes lifeboat at around 6.15 pm and eventually a total of seven boats were involved in a painstaking search, including Calshot’s two RNLI boats – the larger one carrying out a co-ordinating role. With the tide running to the east, much of the search was concentrated in the eastern Solent.
The boats were joined overhead by the Coastguard rescue helicopter, while Coastguard rescue teams from the Island searched the shore from East Cowes to Wootton.
As the evening wore on there were also a search by Cowes lifeboat of the River Medina, up to Kingston.
Coastguards eventually called off the search as light was falling, just before 9.30 pm, without any sign of the woman.
Simon Hawkins, helm of Cowes lifeboat, said it was the longest time the lifeboat had spent on a ‘shout’ this year.
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