Fresh search on Windermere for Bownessie

L - R: Thomas Noblett and Andrew ('The Admiral') Tighe.

10:10pm Wednesday 4th August 2010

By Bethany Abbit, Reporter

A FEARLESS team of monster hunters will set sail on Windermere in a fresh search for ‘Bownessie’.

Lakeland hotelier Thomas ‘The Gladiator’ Noblett and celebrity psychic Dean ‘Midas’ Maynard will embark on their second journey into the depths of Windermere in search of the fabled monster.

The two men led a team of investigators to the lake to look for evidence last year but returned empty handed.

“Since last year, a lot of local people have told me they have felt something in the lake but have been too scared to say anything,” said Mr Noblett, owner of the Langdale Chase Hotel.

“There is obviously something large in there. You just have to look at the depth, width and length of it to know that.”

Bownessie was first spotted by tourist Steve Burnip in 2006. Mr Burnip described a serpent like creature, around 15-feet in length, at the north end of the lake.

Mr Noblett was prompted to prove the existence of the creature when he was hit by a three-foot wave whilst swimming on Windermere last year.

“A lot of people boo-hoo it but they are mainly people who have never set foot in the Lakes,” said Mr Noblett.

“Those who have seen it describe it as a very long and eel-like. One sailor told me he saw what looked like a big slab of meat roll past his boat and disappear underneath the boat.

“It could be a very large catfish that has just grown to be really big. Some of those fish do live for a very long time.”

Mr Noblett and his crew of three will set out on a £300,000 yacht using sonar equipment to try and track Bownessie.

They will explore the deepest part of the lake and sail to a spot near Gummers Howe, where the creature was snapped by Winderemere photographer Linden Adams in 2007.

“Whenever I swim across the lake I always get the heebys jeebies at that part. There is a real eerie feeling around there.”

Mr Maynard said: "The last Bownessie investigation was very memorable and we are hoping to have the same if not better results this time around.

"Since last year I have been contacted by many members of the public who have told me that they have also witnessed seeing something large in the lake over the past few years and we hope to get more evidence to back up these claims."

The Bownessie hunters will set sail on September 11.

http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/8306813.Fresh_search_on_Windermere_for_Bownessie/
(Submitted by Mark North)