Off-duty 999 men in sea rescue drama

TWO off-duty Bexhill firefighters relaxing at the seaside over the Easter weekend suddenly found themselves on full alert to rescue a kite surfer in distress.

On Sunday afternoon, retained crew members Jason Flemming and Ross Griffin, both keen kayakers, were at Camber Sands, near Rye, when a coastguard who had spotted a distressed kite surfer through his binoculars raised the alarm.

He approached the firefighters, quizzed them about their first aid skills and then asked if they could paddle out to the kite surfer’s assistance, as time was of the essence and, with the tide out, no lifeboat could reach him.

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Without hesitation the two friends headed out to sea in search of the man.

Jason, 39, said: “We’d just put the kayaks down in front of the sea and had been there for a few minutes getting our bearings when we saw two coastguard vehicles coming towards us. They pulled up and a couple of lifeguards ran past saying ‘We might need you in a minute’.

“Apparently there was a kite surfer in distress out at sea. We decided to get our kayaks out and had just gone 10 feet into the water when they came running back and said ‘Can you help us?’.

“It didn’t look a long way off but it felt like it. It took a lot of effort to get out there, going against the tide. It took about 10 minutes to get to the man who was hanging on to an inflatable after losing his board. He was shaking and saying ‘Thank you, Thank you’.”

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Ross, 21, added: “He was in distress and panicking and ready to give up. He was so grateful to see us.

“We said to him ‘Just keep your head above the water’, as he was tangled up in his kite. We slumped him up over the boat and managed to free him.

“We started dragging him back to shore and then the coastguards took over. They couldn’t thank us enough. It was a bit windy and that’s probably why he got dragged out. He was obviously a seasoned kite surfer as he had all the professional gear.”

Jason continued: “It’s ironic that we had only been there for just five minutes. I’m glad we could help - anyone else would have done the same. It’s the type of situation where you are focused but don’t think about it until afterwards.

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“You are not frightened at the time, but you might analyse it after.”

Martin Walker, crew manager at Bexhill fire station, praised his colleagues’ actions. He said: “When called upon, although they are not on duty they are never off duty.

“For any sort of humanitarian aid they are always there and willing to help.”

Since the incident, the only downside for the intrepid duo has been some good-natured ribbing from fellow firefighters about their being contenders for Baywatch, the once popular television drama.