Why was a 12" boat dangerous? I would quite hapily do it in a 4m SR in the right weather etc? For no navigation they still made it. And navigating the shipping lanes in a small, fast, manouverable boat is a damn sight safer than doing it with wind in your sails.
Maritime & Coastguard Agency
Press Notice No: Duty 1
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Posted 20:04 GMT
THREE MEN IN A BOAT
Three men set off in a small boat across the channel to France this morning sparking a search after concerns were raised for their safety. Their 12 foot boat has been found ashore in France and the men have been detained by French Police this evening.
Dover Coastguard was alerted at just after 10.20 this morning (Thursday) after a 999 call from a mother reporting that her son and others had taken a boat to sea and were heading for France.
A Rescue Helicopter from RAF Wattisham, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Surveillance aircraft, lifeboats from Ramsgate and Walmer and Coastguard Rescue Teams were involved in the search, which was stood down at 6pm after the men were located in France, between Calais and Gris Nez.
Murray Milligan, of Dover Coastguard said: This is an extremely busy shipping lane to navigate in such a small craft, and we understand that none of the three had any experience in sailing or navigation, which made this a particularly dangerous undertaking.
The Coastguard search was stood down shortly after 6pm, and this is now a matter for the French authorities.
Posted By: Julia Gosling
