A PLEA TO ALL KAYAK ANGLERS

by ianbass Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:52 am

A few weeks ago I was fishing in my usual spot at Cleveleys(on the Fylde Coast to anyone South of Wigan ). 2 gents probably in their early 60's pulled up and got 2 Kayaks off the roof of a car and proceeded to get set up. Now I am not interested in kayak fishing so I paid no attention to them but I did notice them paddling out to sea about 20 minuites later. No problem so far, sometime later I noticed the Coastguard 4x4 coming along the prom with it;s blue lights on. It was then I noticed one of the kayaks very slowly making its way back to the shore and the other kayak overturned apporox 250yards offshore. The kayak had managed to get to within 30yards of the shore when th inshore rescue RIB of the RNLI turned up and helped a man out of the water. He had obviously been hanging on to the kayak that was coming in. They then brought him ashore, where he was wrapped in the old tinfoil blanket.

Obviously things turned out OK apart from the man in the water was very cold and got carted off to Hospital for a check.

The man who brought his friend in came walking back to his car a short time later. He looked in shock so being the good samaritan I had a chat with him. He was kitted out in all the correct gear, proper suit, lifejacket etc, it turned out his mate although wearing a lifejacket had been wearing chestwaders. He needed a wee, slipped his lifejacket off to get his waders down, swung his leg over the kayak and slid straight in. Waders filled up and he could not get back onto the kayak turning it over in the process. Luckily this other chap was there to help and in all honesty save his life and I told him that.

Now personally I think all you Kayakers are mad (joke) but PLEASE,PLEASE, PLEASE when you go out there make sure you are kitted out properly. I hope this is not a reguler occurrance as I would hate any fatalities as a relult of not being kitted out properly

Oh, just one thing I forgot, it was a lovely sunny day and the sea was flat, so if this can happen in these conditions just think if it had a bit of a chop on it