MAN RESCUED FROM SEA AFTER HIS KAYAK SINKS

A kayaker was rescued from the sea off North Flamborough Head after a passerby heard his shouts for help and called Humber Coastguard this evening.
Humber Coastguard received a 999 call from a member of the public at 6.00 pm, reporting that he had heard shouts from the sea and seen a man waving to him. The man’s kayak had sunk and he had been in the water for an hour and a half dressed only in shorts and a t-shirt with a buoyancy aid. The Flamborough RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch and the Bridlington Coastguard Rescue Team was requested to attend the scene. The kayaker was rescued from the sea by the lifeboat and taken to shore, then on to hospital.
Humber Coastguard Watch Manager Graham Dawson says:
“This kayaker was incredibly fortunate to have been saved. It is amazing that after an hour and a half struggling in the water, he still had the strength to shout loudly enough to alert the passerby. His buoyancy aid would have helped him to stay afloat but after an hour and a half he really would have been struggling, especially since the sea was quite choppy.
“If you’re about to go out kayaking, make sure that you tell someone at home where you are going and when you expect to come back. And tell them how to raise the alarm (call 999 and ask for the coastguard) if you do not return when expected. Communications gear such as a handheld VHF radio and mini flares should be kept somewhere within grabbing distance in case you get into difficulty. A mobile phone inside a sealed plastic bag might be a good back up although don’t rely upon it since the signal is not great along the coast. If you really want to invest, a personal locator beacon would be very useful for alerting the emergency services if you are in difficulty, whether at the coast or on land.”

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