Search for young snorkeller suspended

An extensive search for 17 year old snorkeller, Oscar Montgomery, who was reported missing off Portland in Dorset was suspended yesterday evening.

A spokesman for the Martitime and Coastguard Agency said: “Despite a thorough and comprehensive search by RNLI lifeboats from Weymouth and Swanage, coastguard search and rescue helicopters from St Athan and Lee-on-Solent, a police helicopter, two coastguard fixed-wing search aircraft, rescue boats from the cruise ships Britannia and Queen Mary 2, two Royal Navy warships, a Royal Navy helicopter, coastguard rescue teams from Wyke and Portland Bill and Dorset Police, nothing has been found.”

The search for the young man from the Birmingham area, which began at 7.37pm on Wednesday 27 May and continued overnight and throughout today, has now been suspended, pending further information.

Dorset Police is continuing to carry out extensive enquiries to try and locate the young snorkeller.

This incident comes just a few short days after emergency services spoke of how tough the bank holiday weekend had been with two deaths reported, and the RNLI stating that is was in an ‘impossible situation’ as lockdown restrictions are eased and people are flooding to the coast.

The situation for the RNLI is possibly exacerbated by the fact that some of its volunteer crew have had to put their lifeboat duties on hold while they battle the pandemic as key workers. With less lifeguard patrols than normal this year, it looks like the lifeboat crews will be busier than ever along the coast.