Kayaker Caught in Tidal Race
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Article Date: 2008-07-23
View Count: 677
At around 9.30 pm, an emergency call was made to the Operations Room alerting the marine emergency service to a male kayaker, one of a group of four who had strayed into the Portland Race and was in severe difficulties. Very many 999 calls were also made as the person could be heard shouting for help from the shoreline.
Portland Bill Coastguard Rescue Team were immediately sent to the area and the Weymouth all weather RNLI Lifeboat and Inshore Lifeboats were requested to launch.
HMS `Portland' also proceeded to the area and launched one of its fast rescue craft to the location.
In the meantime, fishing vessels 'Providing Star'' and 'Sally Jane'
who also responded to the emergency calls stood by the kayaker as the crew from HMS Portland's fast rescue boat and the Lifeboats arrived at the same time on scene. He was then brought into Weymouth by lifeboat to be reunited with his colleagues.
Ros Evans, Watch Manager at Portland Coastguard said
"Fortunately the tidal race in that area was reasonably slight, around 6 knots, tonight, although still too powerful for a single kayaker. The weather is also benign with westerly force 3s and 4s and slight sea and fair.
The remaining three kayakers all in their 40s and 50s came back into Weymouth and were met by the Coastguard team where they described their journey from Castletown. The group were well set up with radios, lights and flares, but one of their number just caught the edge of the race and was pulled in. It is a salutary lesson to all sea users how clearly charts and weather forecasts and tides should be studied before anyone chooses to set out. We would also like to thank the general public whose rapidity in alerting the Coastguard was outstanding."
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