Hunstanton Hovercraft rescues four people stranded on the Trial Bank

On Thursday 22nd October at 2.45pm UK Coastguard requested the launch of the Hunstanton RNLI Hovercraft in response to reports of four people stranded on the Trial Bank off the River Nene.

Hunstanton RNLI Hovercraft volunteer crew launched on service and proceeded to the area. The four persons, one adult male and three teenage girls, had gone for a walk out on the marshes and had found themselves in difficulty due to the muddy terrain and had made it to the Trial Bank for refuge. They informed UK Coastguard of their predicament and requested assistance. The Hovercraft, with some difficulty, managed to navigate the network of gullies and muddy terrain, and the four were taken onboard the hovercraft and landed at the Lighthouse at Sutton Bridge into the care of the local coastguard response team. The Hovercraft returned to station arriving back a very muddy craft, after a very long service, at 8pm.

Whilst this was going on a man and his daughter came to the boathouse and informed a member of the crew that his wife had fallen and suspected she had broken her ankle. The daughter was left in the care of the boathouse, while a a crew member accompanied the gentleman back to his wife. She was located nearer to Holme. The local coastguard response team were alerted and the lady was transported by the coastguard to an ambulance waiting at Holme and taken to the QE Hospital in Kings Lynn.

HW 11.13pm Wind. SW 3. Weather Sunshine/cloud. Vis. Mod. Sea state slight