Coastguard conducts late night search off Island amid reports of man in water

HM Coastguard <i>(Image: HM Coastguard)</i>
HM Coastguard (Image: HM Coastguard)

COASTGUARD services and the police were called out late at night following a report of a person in the sea off the Isle of Wight.

Just after 1.30am yesterday (Monday), HM Coastguard was asked to assist officers of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

The report received was of a man in the water at East Cowes.

To assist the police, coastguard rescue teams from Bembridge and Ventnor were sent, as well as the Cowes RNLI lifeboat.

After a search of the immediate area in the sea off Castle Street, it was confirmed the man — described by the Maritime Coastguard Agency as a 'casualty' — was out of the water and was in the hands of the police.

Police spoke to the man and "all was in order", with no further action taken, they said.