Skeg jet ski rider stranded at sea was left ‘fatigued and hungry’

A jet ski rider found themselves stranded out at sea on the Lincolnshire coast ^[1] due to the low tide. An RNLI Skegness ^[2] volunteer crew began a rescue mission when a lifeboat was requested at around 3pm on Sunday, September 3.

The stranded individual had run aground just south of Skegness, so the RNLI's Helm Martin Stokes and trainee Helms Ryan Speed and Billy Brookes attended the incident. After assessing both the stranded individual and the condition of the craft, the crew discovered that the rider was tired, hungry, and dehydrated due to prolonged exposure at sea under the sun.

With approximately three hours left until the tide would rise enough to refloat the pleasure craft, the decision was made to bring the individual back to the local boat club at Jackson's Corner for relief. The jet ski was anchored securely, with the coastguard informed of the location, and arrangements were made for a local boat club member to safely return the casualty to the Jet Ski around 6.30pm once the tide had risen.

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Helm Martin Stokes stressed the importance of having a means of contacting the coastguard and praised the casualty for raising the alarm. He said: "Their quick thinking undoubtedly prevented further complications. This incident serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to have a reliable way to contact rescue services when out at sea."

Martin Stokes, Helm (Image: RNLI)

Launch authority, Brad Johnson, added a reminder for craft owners about the importance of being aware of tide times. He said: "It's easy to overlook how tides can affect the water depth around our coastline. We urge everyone to check tide times before setting out and to exercise caution around raised bodies of land usually covered on higher tides."

References

^{^} Lincolnshire coast (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
^{^} Skegness (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
^{^} Get the latest Lincolnshire Live news with our email newsletters (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)