AN RNLI hovercraft got stuck on wooden sea defences prompting a huge rescue effort at the climax of yesterday’s Southend Airshow.
A three-man crew was on standby for the RAF Falcons parachute display team, when the bottom of their hovercraft became lodged on a wooden groyne about 30 yards from the shore.
The Falcons had to ditch their display because of bad weather and RNLI crews had to call for help themselves when the craft became stuck. RNLI spokesman Den Freeman said: “The hovercraft was on the beach up by the Arches cafes as part of the air show and to provide cover.
“As it was launching it got caught on the groyne.”
Two crews from Leigh fire station and one each from Rayleigh and Southend attended the scene, near Western Esplanade at 5.15pm as the airshow came to a close Firefighters worked in the mud with the RNLI crew and used heavy lifting equipment and an airbag to release the hovercraft while the tide was out.
It was released by 6.45pm.
The RNLI provided emergency back up and covered the exclusion zone, in place from the pier to Chalkwell during the airshow.
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