AIR AND SEA SEARCH FOR ROWING BOAT

Brixham Coastguard co-ordinated the safe return of three young men on 13 May 2001 after a chance sighting by an onlooker led to major search for their vessel.

The incident began at 9.50pm when Brixham Coastguard received a 999 call. The informant reported that he had seen what seemed to be a 7 ft boat, around 300 yards offshore from Dawlish with no lights and two people on board.

Brixham Coastguard immediately requested Teignmouth Coastguard Rescue Team to attend the scene along with the Teignmouth Inshore Lifeboat. The Coastguard Rescue Team made enquiries locally and a couple reported that they had seen three youths in a boat off Dawlish earlier on in the evening.

When the lifeboat arrived on scene, it fired some illuminant flares. The police were informed and a helicopter from Royal Naval Air Station, Culdrose was requested to scramble. In addition the Exmouth Lifeboat was launched and a police helicopter was requested, as it had a forward-looking infrared camera on board.

Further enquiries and calls to Brixham Coastguard revealed that other people ashore had heard shouts off Dawlish. The search continued along the shoreline and half a mile off shore from Dawlish towards Exmouth. The tide was in the last hour of flood towards Exmouth and the wind from the southwest, force 3, which would have made the vessel drift towards the Exmouth area.

The Exmouth Lifeboat commenced a search from Exmouth towards Dawlish, half to one mile off shore. As a result of the information received from members of the public, the use of illuminating flares and the sharp eyes and ears of the inshore lifeboat crew and the Coastguards, the vessel was located an hour later at 10.50pm.

The inshore lifeboat took the three lads aged 16, 17 and 18 from their rowing boat onto the lifeboat and took them to the lifeboat station at Teignmouth where they were met by their guardian, the police, and Coastguards. An ambulance was also sent to the Lifeboat House, as the three were clearly very cold although physically unharmed by their experience.

Alf Tupper, Brixham Coastguard Watch Manager said; "The co-operation between the lifeboats, Coastguard and information from the public led to a successful conclusion to what had been a worrying time."