‘We are so grateful’ – praise for joint rescue of nighttime canoeist

 

A canoeist on the water at night (Photo: stock image)
A canoeist on the water at night (Photo: stock image)

A canoeist had a lucky escape when he was plucked from the water late at night thanks to the combined efforts of HM Coastguard, the RNLI, ferry crew and a member of the public. 

Everyone involved in the successful rescue was praised by Coastal Operations Area Commander Tom Wright, who said the casualty was lucky to be alive after falling out of his canoe in the dark. 

Tom said: "The situation that night – in the dark, with cold water and a tiring casualty – could easily have ended in tragedy without the support of the public and the professional response of HM Coastguard and the RNLI.” 

The alarm was sounded shortly before 11pm when a dog walker on a beach within Poole Harbour, Dorset, spotted a man shouting for help and struggling to hold onto his craft, near the marina by Lake Pier. 

The witness dialled 999 and asked for the Coastguard, who dispatched an inshore lifeboat from the RNLI's Poole base as well as Coastguard Rescue Teams from Poole and Kimmeridge. 

As they headed to the scene, the dog walker called out encouragement and reassurance to the exhausted canoeist that help was on the way, urging him to fight and stay afloat. 

The commotion was also picked up by crew on Condor Ferries’ high-speed trimaran Liberation, which helped with the Mayday relay and offered to send their fast rescue boat. 

Within 30 minutes of the alarm being raised the casualty, who not wearing live saving equipment, was located, lifted into the RNLI lifeboat and taken back to base in Poole. 

There he was greeted by the town’s coastguard team and a South Western Ambulance Service team who took him to hospital. 

Tom said: “We are so grateful for the help of the dog walker who stayed on the phone with us and kept the casualty’s spirits up, and for the crew of Liberation for offering their assistance. 

“We urge anyone taking to the water to wear life-saving equipment and take a phone in a waterproof case – it's always better to be safe than sorry. 

“But if things do go wrong at sea or on the coast, we are here to help. Dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, we’ll know what to do.” 

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