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Yarmouth Lifeboat Volunteers Save Capsized Island Kayaker

Yarmouth RNLI crew returning yesterday (Photo © Teresa Fox)

Volunteer lifeboat crew members from the RNLI Yarmouth station, assisted by kitesurfers, successfully rescued a capsized kayaker off the Island on Saturday afternoon (March 27).

Yarmouth’s Severn class all weather lifeboat, "Eric and Susan Hiscock (Wanderer)", was tasked to launch by HM Coastguard on Saturday 27 March 2021 at 3.10pm to reports of a kayaker in difficulty North West of Colwell Bay.

Yarmouth RNLI’s volunteer crew said they quickly responded to the alarm raised by a pair of local kitesurfers and headed west out of Yarmouth harbour towards Colwell Bay.

Once on scene they were quickly able to locate a man in the water, who was being supported and observed by one of the kitesurfers until help arrived.

Crews secured the casualty into the sling that had been lowered by the RNLI crew and which was then lifted safely onboard the lifeboat using the ‘A’ frame.

Having assessed the kayaker for injuries, the crew then recovered the kayak and secured it to the starboard deck of the lifeboat.

Yarmouth lifeboat then escorted the standby kitesurfer back to the safety of Colwell Bay before returning to Yarmouth Harbour with the rescued kayaker and his boat onboard.

Crew member Alex Pimm said:

"The kayaker had all of the necessary safety equipment onboard.

"He had also made sure that contacts on land knew where he was but the conditions were lively: 20 knots of south westerly winds and a swell of half a metre would have made it extremely difficult for the lone kayaker to right his boat."

Graham Benton, Deputy Coxswain also added:

"The quick thinking support of the two local kitesurfers turned what could have been a tragic accident into a rescue with a positive outcome."

Yarmouth lifeboat returned to her berth and was ready for service at 3.55pm.

The RNLI last night reminded the media that it is an independent charity that relies on voluntary contributions to fund its lifesaving work.

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