An emergency rescue off Exmouth saw four people lifted from the water after their 18ft speedboat sank yesterday
Four people were rescued off a sinking speedboat near Exmouth yesterday, prompting a Coastguard warning about preparing for the unexpected.
Three adults and one teenager were safely lifted from the water after their 18-footer began taking on water between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton.
RNLI Exmouth responded to the distress call by launching lifeboat R and J Welburn and reported that only one of the people onboard the stricken vessel was wearing a lifejacket.
All four were given medical attention at Exmouth Marina after the successful rescue mission.
Peter Davies from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “The person who called us this afternoon did exactly the right thing by calling for help at the earliest opportunity.
“Because they called when they did the amount of time the group spent in the cold sea was mercifully short.”
He added that all boatowners should “prepare for the unexpected” even when taking a short tip out on a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
Recommended measures include taking enough lifejackets and personal floatation devices, and investing in a VHF or DSC radio, which can raise a distress in the event that your mobile phone does not have enough signal.
