Tragedy in St Cast

[peterandjeanette]

We think that once we are in the marina we are safe. Big mistake.
We put into St Cast and really loved the place.
However, one morning last week I was walking up the pontoon to the shore and found several gendarmes standing about. I thought it was a boat/papers inspection. On reaching the ramp to the shore a coroner's van pulled up and got a stretcher on wheels out of the back.
It transpired that the owners of a CI mobo, berthed a few boats away from us, were woken by the gendarmes and told that there was a body face down in the water between their stern and the pontoon. It was the owner of a yacht moored next to them - another CI boat. We never found out the reason he fell overboard or off the pontoon. The result was the same. Obviously his wife was very distraught when led from the boat. You really felt for her. I also believe that there were a couple of children on board too, but I never saw them.
The lesson is to always be aware of the dangers, even within the apparent safety of a marina.
In addition to this, only a few hours later SWMBO was walking up the pontoon and the man a few paces in front of her fell off the pontoon into the water. He was soon pulled out with only a few cuts and bruises. There were some ladders along the pontoon but not actually in the water. They were to be deployed by someone on the pontoon. A practice used in other marinas that I have seen. Not much good if you are the only person about and trapped in the water.
The pontoons appear to have been made of plastic rather than the traditional timber. Although they got wet a couple of times I never found them too slippery or unstable.

On a more pleasant note we loved St Cast and will certainly make a repeat visit. Anyone thinking of visiting the place would be well advised to check their pilotage especially in relation to depths. We were there on extreme spring tides and the marina is surrounded by hidden walls and sandbanks. There is also a huge rock - marked by an isolated danger mark - in the middle of the marina, hidden at high water but fully exposed at low tide.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

A timely reminder. We were in Lezardrieux many years ago when a child fell into the water. Anyone who's been to that marina knows that the tide runs pretty fierce through the pontoons. The child was swept downstream clean under 2 pontoons but luckily somebody saw him and managed to pluck him out of the water just as he was being swept under the 3rd pontoon. The child was not wearing a life jacket and was extremely lucky to be saved. Boating can be dangerous and it's useful if we are all reminded of the risks from time to time

 

[Scubadoo]

Yes very sad indeed, I think your more likely to fall in the water at a marina than when out in the open sea. People become settled and of course enjoy a drink or two and the worse can happen. I tend to be more worried of falling in the water in winter when it is quieter, cold, dark early, on your own etc.

 

[Ripster]

This is very sad. As has been said, its so easy to be off your guard when in a marina - no LJ on and often some alcohol flowing. I got a personal wake-up call when on the FB. Got up, mis-judged the level of roll and was taken off balance. Went to grab a rail that wasn't there and lurched half over the side before hastily grabbing the chair. Shook me up as if I had not been able to grab the chair - next stop would have been overboard!

Thoughts go out the family involved.

 

[nicho]

That is awful. I reminds me too vividly of our recent experience in Yarmouth when my wife tripped and fell, knocking herself out and ending up in the harbour at 23.00 hrs. Luckily I heard it all and managed to retrieve her. We still get flashbacks and realise we were lucky it did not end in a similar way to this.