Two adults and a child had a very lucky escape on the 4th October, when they were thrown from their RIB (rigid inflatable boat) into the sea.

The outboard on the RIB continued to function and the group were trapped in the water with the craft circling them at speed.

By a pure stroke of luck, the patrol boat Rio Aragón from El Servicio Maritimo de la Guardia Civil, was patrolling at 20.00h the waters near Punta de la Mona and spotted the group in the water calling for help.

Time was of the essence as the RIB was getting closer to the group with every circuit, so the helmsman on the Rio Aragon skillfully put the patrol craft between the group and the RIB, allowing one of the officers to board it and stop the outboard.

The group were not injured, but at 20.00h the sea was rather chilly and they were showing the first signs of hypothermia, so the officers gave them dry/warm clothes and took them and their very naughty RIB to Marina de Este.

The group told the officers that they were holding on to a handle on the RIB which came away from its fastening, causing them to lose their balance. Unfortunately, they were thrown into the water in an area with no beach to swim for and only sheer cliffs and jagged rocks nearby.

Anyway, a happy ending to what could have been a very nasty incident.

(News: Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia – Photo: Guardia Civil)