Vulnerable adult rescued from sea for second time

It was the second time that Bexhill's Coastguard and the RNLI have been called to rescue the 24 year old who lives near Heathfield.

He was visiting the local area with his carer and was reported as being 'in distress' whilst swimming near 'Caf on the Beach' at Glyne Gap at around 10.30am.

A crew from Hastings inshore lifeboat subsequently rescued the man and returned him to the shore where Bexhill Coastguards helped transfer him to a waiting ambulance.

It transpires that the casualty, rather than doing his usual parallel shore swim, decided to swim straight out to sea.

Deputy Station Officer at HM Coastguard Bexhill, Gary Tidman said:

"This is the second time, this young man has been recovered from the sea in the last month. Because of his learning difficulties, he has had a carer with him.

"In addition to the standard safety advice we impart to all rescued swimmers (or in this case his carer) we also recommended that the carer review the risks of letting her charge swim in the sea."

At the time of the incident no red flags were flying, however later in the morning, as sea conditions worsened, Hastings and Rother foreshore decided to raise the Red No Bathing flags.

Gary added:

"Swimming in the sea is fun, but this activity must always be carried out having assessed the conditions of the sea and weather, which of course can change very quickly.

"The beach officers will raise flags to help bathers know whether it is unsafe to swim or use inflatables.

"This does not negate ones personal responsibility to assess the potential dangers to one's self or others in their care. We want the public to enjoy the coast and beaches, but always remember, safety first.

"If you see someone in distress, think about where you are and where the casualty is located, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

"Most importantly do not try to rescue the casualty yourself, keep a sharp eye on them so we can direct our resources to them".