KAYAKER WALKS SEVERAL MILES TO RAISE THE ALARM AFTER CAPSIZING IN GULF OF CORRYVRECKAN

A kayaker has been located safe and well after he capsized in the Gulf of Corryvreckan.
Belfast Coastguard was contacted by a local fishing vessel just after 3.30pm this afternoon, reporting that they had spotted the kayak upside down in the water, along with other items including a lifejacket, food parcels, a paddle and a wetsuit.

The Jura Coastguard Rescue Team, the RNLI Islay all-weather lifeboat and the Royal Navy search and rescue helicopter from Prestwick were sent to the scene to carry out a thorough search. Belfast Coastguard also issued a mayday relay broadcast on VHF Channel 16 to other vessels in the area to report back if they had any information.

Police Scotland then contacted Belfast Coastguard to let them know that the man had turned up at a house nearby. It emerged that he had capsized and was unable to collect his equipment so swam to shore. He then walked several miles barefoot to a house to raise the alarm.

Graeme Watters, Watch Manager at Belfast Coastguard, said:
"This kayaker was well equipped but unfortunately capsized and wasn't able to collect all of his equipment.
"We always advise kayakers to wear a buoyancy aid, carry distress flares that are stowed where you can reach them and carry a VHF marine band radio so you can contact the Coastguard if you get into difficulty or distress.
"It may also be worth signing up to CG66, which is free and records details of your kayak and shore contacts for use in an emergency.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Further details on CG66 can be found on our website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga07-home/emergencyresponse/mcga-searchandrescue/cg66.htm
Follow us on Twitter. Find us at MCA_media.

Popular posts from this blog

Label your kit at the coast

Image
Kayaks. Canoes. Paddleboards. What do they all have in common? They’re quite often found on the coastline or drifting out to sea. And if we don’t know who they belong to, we can spend time searching for an owner when they’re home safe and sound. So please help us to help you. Label your kit so that if you do get separated from it, and it turns up somewhere, we can get hold of you. In recent weeks, our Coastguard Rescue Teams have found numerous items such as kayaks and canoes drifting out at sea or abandoned near the shoreline. Unfortunately, some of the items we have found have not had their owners’ contact details written on them nor been reported as missing to the Coastguard. As a result, it makes it difficult for us to find out who it belongs to and also means we can never be completely sure if someone is safe or in the worst case, in trouble at sea. This can place a huge strain on our resources especially during the busy summer period when we have to call upon our Coastgua
Read more

A short history of HM Coastguard

Image
Today HM Coastguard is a world leader in maritime search and rescue. Looking back almost 200 years, the goods, which now travel by road, were carried by hundreds of small ships. Year in year out dozens of ships and hundreds of lives were lost within sight of the coast. Public shock and dismay at the tragedies drove forward the creation of national life saving organisations. Though it’s beginnings lie in those decades HM Coastguard originated not to meet the dangers of the seas but to combat a threat to the country’s economy and security – smuggling. As soon as medieval taxes were charged on imports and exports, people began smuggling. By 1743 th e estimate was that half the tea drunk in Britain was illegally imported and shows that smuggling was highly profitable. Smugglers have often been romanticised but the reality was brutal. Local people lived in fear, with violent reprisals on informers and the murder of revenue officers, while corruption enabled smugglers to evade harsh p
Read more

Emergency Radio Procedures: Does your fishing crew know what to do?

Image
DSC emergency radio procedures                                                              Picture: Planefocus Fitting a Digital Selective Calling radio on your vessel and knowing how to use it in an emergency could save your life.   If the worst were to happen at sea, using a DSC radio correctly can save vital time in getting those in trouble back to the shore.   Calling HM Coastguard with DSC in an emergency significantly helps in locating an incident and providing that help.      Most fixed VHF radios come with built-in DSC, meaning the Coastguard can be called easily and fast.   Assistant Chief Coastguard Matt Leat said:  “DSC means information is sent quickly and clearly so a rescue can begin right away. As well as having a registered personal locator beacon (PLB) per crew member on board, with DSC you’ll be assisting the Coastguard in locating you much faster.   “No one wants to be in an emergency situation and have to use DSC or a PLB, but that does not mean your vessel sho
Read more