Strange story of yacht aground near Eastbourne

[Downsman]

10.00 Hrs Yacht calls Coastguard..in trouble off Bexhill (away to the East of Eastbourne)
Coastguard respond..RNLI boat goes alongside..yacht skipper refuses to talk to them..then speaks and refuses all assistance..
Lifeboat stood down..coastguard monitor yacht progress thoughout day.. (10 hours later..dark and still blowing a gale) shortly after 20.00 hrs MayDay from the yacht as it runs aground on rocky ledges (low water) off Eastbourne...Red flares being fired..Helicopter requested as the RNLI can't get alongside to get him off..Yachts mast is down..Helicopter stands by to lift Skipper off..if he'll come...
Rising tide..yacht is driven off the ledges and up the shingle beach..rescuers (not police) wade out out through the surf and help the Skipper ashore..He starts threatening them when they try to get him clear of the surf..Police are called..man is eventually detained under Mental Health Act..
Man is now safe,dry,warm, and being looked after.
End ex...

 

[richardf]

Headlines are only reflecting society's values.

So, for your little bit of society its OK to stand by and let somebody die when your actions could have saved his life.

Glad I don't inhabit the same bit of society that you seem to.

So lock him up to save his life, then let him die in misery, poverty and obscurity in some sh*tty home (he certainly won't get to go anywhere nice if he has no money), instead of leaving him alone to live and die in whatever way makes him content.

If it were me I'd rather not have your lot saving my life, thanks.

 

[Zen Zero]

One of my closest friends from school now suffers from schizophrenia (I'm not sure if they still call it that, it's difficult to get a clear explanation from Mike), and sometimes has acute attacks of paranoia which have ended, on at least two occasions that I am aware of, with the intervention of the Police.

In both cases, the intervention of the Police was necessary to protect other people and their property. I can only say how impressed and grateful I am to the Police (Strathclyde Police in both cases) for the care they took and the professional way they handled the situations.

I'm truly sorry for Jerry, and I hope he gets his liberty and his boat back (and repaired) but I can easily see how it was necessary for the police to intervene and am glad that noone was hurt.

 

[savageseadog]

"Sectioning" under the Mental Health Act is relatively common and is done to prevent people harming themselves or others. Yes, they are put in secure units and drugged but this is what our society has decided is best, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" illustrates some of the morals and ethical issues relating to mental illness. As far as hancuffing is concerned the Police simply won't risk someone going beserk or running off, I'm not saying it's right or wrong but the whole thing is deeply unpleasant.

 

[Tranona]

I'm not saying it's right or wrong but the whole thing is deeply unpleasant.

Yes - for everybody concerned, including the police and rescue services. They have to act as they think appropriate in the circumstances. One assumes their judgement was that he was a danger to himself and others. He will have plenty of opportunity to show that this is not the case in a better environment than on a stormy beach with his yacht breaking up around him!

 

[Blueboatman]

One day the poor bloke may well get to read some of these smug, holier-than-thou posts, eh?

 

[richardf]

They don't know any better, I'm afraid.

 

[BruceDanforth]

He will be most likely be observed by professionals and talked to for a couple of days to see where he is at then medication may or may not be discussed. Shipwrecked mariners are fairly rare. There is no reason to think he will be badly treated.

"Sectioning" under the Mental Health Act is relatively common and is done to prevent people harming themselves or others. Yes, they are put in secure units and drugged but this is what our society has decided is best, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" illustrates some of the morals and ethical issues relating to mental illness. As far as hancuffing is concerned the Police simply won't risk someone going beserk or running off, I'm not saying it's right or wrong but the whole thing is deeply unpleasant.

 

[Caliban]

There is no reason to think he will be badly treated.

IMHO he already has.
Sure, he has not been beaten, abused, tortured, whatever, but maybe he was happy living the way he was.

Once the 'social' get involved; with all those do-gooders deciding they know what he really wants, whilst disregarding the man himself, then that is bad treatment, in my eye.
Guy likes living on his boat, I can't blame him for that, but in the eyes of the 'social' he is an oddball, a misfit, he does not conform to their concept of 'normal'.
My guess is he'll never set foot on another boat as long as he lives, and certainly not one he can call home. The state will 'look after' him, he will be miserable and die prematurely.

 

[BruceDanforth]

Once you put a flare up you aren't in charge at that time and aren't in a position to argue, especially with coppers standing in icy water. He was taken away from the situation to somewhere safe and calm. Anything else is conjecture. Hopefully his boat can be fixed.

IMHO he already has.
Sure, he has not been beaten, abused, tortured, whatever, but maybe he was happy living the way he was.

Once the 'social' get involved; with all those do-gooders deciding they know what he really wants, whilst disregarding the man himself, then that is bad treatment, in my eye.
Guy likes living on his boat, I can't blame him for that, but in the eyes of the 'social' he is an oddball, a misfit, he does not conform to their concept of 'normal'.
My guess is he'll never set foot on another boat as long as he lives, and certainly not one he can call home. The state will 'look after' him, he will be miserable and die prematurely.

 

[trapezeartist]

If it were me I'd rather not have your lot saving my life, thanks.

That was the general gist expressed by a person (mostly using words beginning with F) that I was involved in recovering from some very cold water. It took 6 or 8 coastguards to lift them out of the water, because they resisted so vigorously. Temperature down to 34 deg (severely hypothermic). You think we should have left the person in the water? We could have gone back later to recover the body.

 

[Boo2]

That was the general gist expressed by a person (mostly using words beginning with F) that I was involved in recovering from some very cold water. It took 6 or 8 coastguards to lift them out of the water, because they resisted so vigorously. Temperature down to 34 deg (severely hypothermic). You think we should have left the person in the water? We could have gone back later to recover the body.

If he chooses to stay in the water that's his choice. If you lift him without his permission (implicit if unconscious) then that's assault. I agree with the points above about people being entitled to choose to live and die in the way they want.

Boo2

 

[Tranona]

If he chooses to stay in the water that's his choice. If you lift him without his permission (implicit if unconscious) then that's assault. I agree with the points above about people being entitled to choose to live and die in the way they want.

Boo2

Except that in this instance he was not driving his boat ashore to kill himself. He had broadcast a Mayday which by definition means that he was asking for assistance - which he got.

 

[Boo2]

Except that in this instance he was not driving his boat ashore to kill himself. He had broadcast a Mayday which by definition means that he was asking for assistance - which he got.

He's still entitled to refues assistance if he chooses - sending a Mayday doesn't remove your right to determine your own best course of action.

Boo2

 

[Tranona]

He's still entitled to refues assistance if he chooses - sending a Mayday doesn't remove your right to determine your own best course of action.

Boo2

If you read the whole sequence of events as reported he did initially refuse assistance when he was offshore and still afloat. This was several hours before the boat got into a dangerous situation and he then called for assistance. This suggests that he had no intention of killing himself. Perhaps if he had accepted assistance when it was first offered he would not be in his current situation, but free to make his own decisions and maybe even have his boat floating and operational.

 

[Sailfree]

Once you put a flare up you aren't in charge at that time and aren't in a position to argue.

I am aware that in USA once coastguards deem a rescue is necessary you must obey them but I don't think that is the case in the UK even if you have previously declared a mayday.

Until I hear to the contrary I prefer to think that this person had struggled with stressful and difficult conditions at sea and a combination of tiredness, hypothermia,stress etc made him difficult to reason with.

 

[Daydream believer]

If he chooses to stay in the water that's his choice. If you lift him without his permission (implicit if unconscious) then that's assault. I agree with the points above about people being entitled to choose to live and die in the way they want.

Boo2

Yes & the family then queue up to sue the relevant services for letting him die
Good move that
The bloke was obviously off his trolley & needed saving - like it or not

 

[Niander]

So wheres the boat now?

 

[mtb]

wouldn't it be great if some one at that posh marina arranged for the fees to be paid by the local council as housing benefit
cant you just see people turning up for a week end with his boat on the pontoon washing out and him talking with a plum in his gob
I'll donate a dinner jacket
SOOO FUNNY

 

[toad_oftoadhall]

That was the general gist expressed by a person (mostly using words beginning with F) that I was involved in recovering from some very cold water. It took 6 or 8 coastguards to lift them out of the water, because they resisted so vigorously. Temperature down to 34 deg (severely hypothermic).

There must be some missing information here. Was he insane? Or did he think he didn't need the rescue? Or something else?