Humber Coastguard are currently co-ordinating assistance to an overturned cabin cruiser Last Call which left Whitby Harbour earlier this morning in horrendous sea conditions.
A call was received at just after 12.15 am which reported concerns by Whitby lifeboat personnel that the small cabin cruiser with three people on board was leaving the harbour in rough sea conditions producing waves of 20 to 30 foot just outside the harbour wall.
Shortly afterwards, and around 50 to 100 foot out from the harbour wall, the vessel was overturned in those rough seas. An emergency call was made to the Coastguard by a female on board. From a visual sighting from the harbour wall a person was seen struggling in the water who was wearing a lifejacket.
A further report from an off duty policeman on the sea wall suggested that there was a further person in the water directly between the walls whilst the one seen earlier was drifting out to sea, although it was difficult in the swell and spray to see those individuals. They were described to be struggling in the swell and in serious difficulties.
The Coastguard immediately requested the use of a rescue helicopter and the Whitby lifeboat was also launched. The Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team were also deployed to the east pier.
Two men were recovered from the water 100 yards from the West pier fairly soon after and the rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield airlifted a female from the water directly to James Cook hospital.
The whole area has now been taped off and people directed away due to the deteriorating weather conditions.
The two males after being worked on at the lifeboat station by paramedics were taken to hospital by road and air ambulances.
Mike Bill, Rescue Co-ordination Centre Manager at Humber Coastguard said:
We do not understand why these people went out in such conditions and they are clearly paying a price for their actions. We can only warn again that the sea is a killer and that in these very rough conditions individuals must be aware of the risks that they take when approaching or going out on the sea. We would like to particularly praise the lifeboat personnel at Whitby for alerting the authorities to the sea conditions, the passage of the vessel and the unfolding incident.
Posted By: Mark Clark
For further details contact: The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office 023 8032 9401