Cowes lifeboat joins major Southampton search

Cowes RNLI lifeboat went well out of its usual operational area on Saturday, 20 October to take part in an extensive co-ordinated search for a woman believed to have jumped from the high road bridge over the River Itchen at Southampton.

The lifeboat was afloat off the RNLI's Calshot 's lifeboat station, having attended the naming ceremony for Calshot's new Atlantic 85 RIB, when Solent Coastguard was heard to task Hamble lifeboat to the emergency just before 1500. Coastguards then accepted the offer of both Calshot and Cowes lifeboats to also go to the scene.

Max Rimington, the Cowes helm, said: "As we approached the Itchen bridge we saw a woman who was on the edge of the bridge. Behind her, on the bridge, was an ambulance and a number of police.

"Although eventually the woman was talked to safety by the police, we were told that another woman had been seen to have already jumped from the bridge. The lifeboats then carried out a thorough search of the river, assisted by police and mobile coastguard units on both banks, and the Solent coastguard helicopter."

But after 40 minutes or so Solent Coastguards called off the search, having then been satisfied that the person who had reported seeing the jump had been mistaken.

The other crew members of Cowes lifeboat were Chris Cockroft and Graham Creigh.