Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2010/January 2011 | Page 88

on the water

Island Life - December 2010

Photo: Recovering the plane which crashed in front of the
Sandown/Shanklin Lifeboat station 2006

Off a coastline that varies from so

annual Schneider Trophy, ran out of fuel and

Independent Lifeboat covers an area up to

had to ditch his plane on Sandown beach

10 miles out at sea, from Bembridge Ledge

right outside the station.

to St. Catherine’s point. But they travel much

“We were manning the station at the time,

further if the need arises. The RIB usually

so we were definitely first on the scene,”

carries three or four crewmen for each

said Mark. “The pilot was fine, and we

mission and travels up to 36 knots an hour.

managed to pull the plane out of the sea

Mark and his crew have been known to

before the tide came in. He was very thankful

encounter horrendous conditions including

for the help we gave him, and later made a

Force Nine gales. He smiled: “We were

donation of £200. The one thing about being

out on a Force 10 storm once. It was a bit

a crew member is that you know every job

windy, but didn’t affect the boat too much.

is going to be different, and you never really

However, we couldn’t go flat out!”

know what to expect until you arrive at the

There was one occasion – the only one so
far – when an emergency landed literally
88

on their doorstep. A pilot, competing in the

dramatically, the Sandown and Shanklin

scene.”
Sandown and Shanklin Lifeboat, like Ryde
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