Mhvoiceuk
Member
Today I watched the Coastguard rescue someone and all I can say is that I am incredibly glad that they exist and feel very reassured to know that they can respond so quickly.
I was sitting in the bar of Langstone Sailing Club this afternoon when a boy of about twelve burst in asking if anyone could swim. I asked him why and he said "'cos someone's drowning out there" , pointing to the water on the Chichester side of the Hayling Island bridge. He said he'd called the Coastguard on his mobile phone. A glance out of the window confirmed that there was indeed a capsized windsurfer moving at some speed (it was blowing at about F5-6),but no person. Thankfully the boy had kept an eye on the man in the water and he could just be made out clinging to a mooring buoy. Club members jumped into action and rushed to launch the club dory . In the five minutes that it took to get the dory to the slipway, a Solent Coastguard helicopter, 4x4 and rib had appeared (on the scene by air, road and sea - pretty impressive). Five minutes later the guy was winched out of the water and on his way to hospital for hypothermia checks. All over in ten minutes and a life saved. Watching the rescue services do what they do, and do it so well, was a really wonderful thing. It was very lucky for the rescued man that a couple of twelve year old boys out on their bikes had sharp enough eyes to see him, were responsible enough to make the call and had indulgent enough parents to allow them mobile phones!
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I was sitting in the bar of Langstone Sailing Club this afternoon when a boy of about twelve burst in asking if anyone could swim. I asked him why and he said "'cos someone's drowning out there" , pointing to the water on the Chichester side of the Hayling Island bridge. He said he'd called the Coastguard on his mobile phone. A glance out of the window confirmed that there was indeed a capsized windsurfer moving at some speed (it was blowing at about F5-6),but no person. Thankfully the boy had kept an eye on the man in the water and he could just be made out clinging to a mooring buoy. Club members jumped into action and rushed to launch the club dory . In the five minutes that it took to get the dory to the slipway, a Solent Coastguard helicopter, 4x4 and rib had appeared (on the scene by air, road and sea - pretty impressive). Five minutes later the guy was winched out of the water and on his way to hospital for hypothermia checks. All over in ten minutes and a life saved. Watching the rescue services do what they do, and do it so well, was a really wonderful thing. It was very lucky for the rescued man that a couple of twelve year old boys out on their bikes had sharp enough eyes to see him, were responsible enough to make the call and had indulgent enough parents to allow them mobile phones!
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