Boater's biplane rescue at air show

A powerboater and her family sprang into action when a biplane crashed into Poole Harbour on the south coast, narrowly missing yachts, rocks and a chain ferry.

- Laura Hodgetts

The plane, carrying a wingwalker, flipped upside down during the unscheduled sea landing, which occurred during a Bournemouth Air Festival display on 4 September.

Libby Chambers, her partner, Alan Badenhorst, and their three children were on their 3.1m rigid inflatable boat’s maiden voyage when they witnessed the biplane, a 1940s vintage Boeing Super Stearman, struggle and then plummet into nearby water.

Libby said: “The pilot did an outstanding job to avoid all the boats who had been out to watch the air show, the rocks and the chain ferry.

“There must have been a good 50 boats coming in.”

The incident happened just before 4pm, near the Haven Hotel at Sandbanks.

The family, who had motored out to their friend’s Sunseeker yacht to watch the Red Arrows display, were returning to Poole Yacht Club. Mum-of-two Libby, 43, said: “We were literally just coming up to the chain ferry when something in the sky caught my eye.

“I thought it was a seagull and there it was, a biplane.