Why use a helicopter rather than a hovercraft?

Gavin Parson writes: Last night a rescue helicopter plucked a person from a dinghy stuck on the mud outside Gillingham Marina. Mark Colyer who keeps his hovercraft at the marina witnessed this complete waste of money and resources and subsequently went out in his hovercraft to recover the dinghy.  The whole rescue could have been done in minutes and for £2 in fuel with the hovercraft rather than the thousands it no doubt cost for the helicopter. Perhaps there is now a validation for a volunteer rescue hovercraft service on the Medway.

4 thoughts on “Why use a helicopter rather than a hovercraft?”

    1. A little harsh if I may say given the lack of details. What I can say with some certainty that stupidity doesn’t discriminate.

  1. Gavin makes a very good case here for a volunteer hovercraft. The extensive mudflats of the Medway estuary make life difficult for rescue vessels, in the present case mud crawling boards would have been the only other solution. Perhaps MSBA ought to consider discussions with the RNLI and/or Peel ports? Alternatively, could the MSBA organise the various sailing/cruising clubs to co-operate?

  2. According to Kentonline.co.uk the “stranded vessel” was a ship that has gone aground. Perhaps the Coastguard was given the impression that there was a container ship on Commodores Hard. That might explain the massive turnout of chaps in hi viz jackets, 4x4s, helicopter etc.

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