Fisherman ‘so happy’ to see RNLI after 25 minutes in freezing water
His boat was capsized by an unexpected wave.
This is the dramatic moment a stranded fisherman whose boat was capsized by a wave was rescued.
Ashley Wright sent out a Mayday distress call to coastguards as his vessel sunk off the coast of Devon on Monday.
Footage shows volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution helping the man who had been in very cold water for almost 30 minutes.
A feeling of relief can be seen on Ashley’s face as the crew from Plymouth arrived.
They were called out at around 4pm after HM Coastguard picked up a report of a person in the water one mile south of Rame Head, in the Whitsand Bay area.
A skipper on a fishing boat had already made his way to the scene, pulling Ashley on board, and ultimately helping save his life.
He can be heard saying: ‘I am so happy that you guys found me.’
Ashley had used his mobile to dial 999 and ask for help and stayed on the phone to the coastguard for 25 minutes while in the water.
Plymouth RNLI Coxswain Simon Jeffery said: ‘We would like to thank the skipper of the fishing vessel for answering the Mayday call and quickly locating the casualty, their assistance helped save the man’s life.
‘This was a time critical shout, and our crew used their skills to quickly get to the scene, get the casualty out of the water and provide the emergency casualty care he needed.
‘Clearly this incident shows how situations can change very quickly, so we would urge people to make sure they are fully prepared before going to sea, including wearing a lifejacket, carrying an emergency locator beacon and a radio to call for help.
‘Ultimately this man has gone home to his family, after spending a long period of time in very cold water.
‘We are delighted this incident has a positive outcome and reinforces why we do what we do – save lives at sea.’
The incident happened just as the RNLI launched their Mayday Mile fundraising campaign, which is taking place during the entire month of May.
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