Girl in kayak swept out to sea

A 7-year-old girl was rescued from the bay at Derbyhaven this afternoon after being swept offshore by South Westerly winds. The Ronaldsway Airport Inshore Rescue Boat brought the girl and her kayak back to shore. Volunteers in the Castletown coastguard team spoke to the parents of the girl and gave some safety advice about the dangers of offshore winds.
Paul Parkes, Liverpool Coastguard Watch Manager said:

“When undertaking any leisure activities on the water with young children we would always recommend that they are accompanied by a capable adult. As this incident shows, offshore winds can be extremely hazardous to children in inflatables or any craft where they are not able to make it back to shore unaided”.
Read more on the MCA website…

Advice for those hiring Canoes and Kayaks

With rain dominating the forecasts and flooding dominating the headlines Canoeing’s National Governing Bodies advise those hiring equipment to plan their activity carefully.
Canoeing on the Wye is very popular and has been so for many years. Hundreds of Thousands of people have taken to the water for the first time on the stretches of this river and had great experiences and memories to treasure of a great day out. Many people have hired equipment to take to the river for one of the numerous hire companies that exist on the river and again had positive experiences.
Canoeing like any outdoor sport is an assumed risk sport. The high rainfall that the UK has experienced over the last few months has lead to a number of incidents on the River Wye for inexperienced or first time participants who have taken to the river as an activity. Canoeing’s National Governing Body always advises planning and preparation, however in times of unusual high water it is essential to consider the conditions and your ability to manage them.
Richard Harvey, Chief Executive of Canoe Wales said:
“We are experiencing very unusual water conditions for the season on the Wye and anyone getting on the rivers should be aware of the additional risks that exist and are presented by extended rainfall and high water. This applies to all but especially to those taking to the water for the first time and to those hiring equipment if they have limited experience of the sport and the river. To the inexperienced or first time paddler a brown fast moving river shows little danger, whilst in fact the opposite is true. Simply put the speed of the water compounds things, dangers can often be submerged and minor mishaps can very quickly escalate in rescue scenarios. Unfortunately we have experienced some of these incidents this year on the Wye due to high water levels. We have provided some pointers for participants to consider when taking to the water and hiring equipment. This is common sense based. We are at pains to remind participants that the decision to go afloat must be your own, but that everyone should make an informed and educated choice about the conditions, their party’s fitness, experience and ability. Consider carefully and ask questions about the service conditions on offer from hire provider before taking to the water. A few moments to consider the trip and conditions can make the difference between an incident and an enjoyable fondly remembered adventure.”  Read more on the Canoe Wales website…

Kayaker saved by Eastbourne lifeboat

Eastbourne RNLI’s inshore lifeboat (ILB) went to the rescue of a kayaker this morning (22 May) who had fallen out of his craft in Norman’s Bay and had spent an hour in the water trying to attract attention to his plight.

The man was enjoying the Eastbourne sunshine and angling a few hundred metres offshore in his kayak when he fell out of his craft whilst stowing his fishing gear. Fortunately he was well equipped with a wet suit and buoyancy aid but had no means of summoning help and was forced to wave at anglers on the beach to attract attention. After some time he was noticed by concerned onlookers who contacted Dover Coastguard. The volunteer crew from Eastbourne ILB assembled and were afloat within five minutes of the request to launch and with helmsman Paul Rogers in command were on scene within 12 minutes. The kayaker was cold and shaken but otherwise unharmed and was returned to shore with his craft and passed into the care of a waiting Coastguard officer. Read more on the RNLI website…