Teens Lucky After Inflatable Capsizes Off Scarborough

Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Posted 16:55 GMT

At half past three this afternoon Humber Coastguard received several calls into the Operations Room reporting that two young males had gone out in an inflatable dinghy from Scarborough Harbour, and that one of them was now in the water.

The two locals (both in their late teens) had taken the rubber dinghy out on the water when it capsized – leaving one in the water and one having managed to swim ashore.

Humber Coastguard sent the Scarborough Coastguard Rescue Team to the scene. In the meantime, a passing kayaker managed to rescue the boy that was in the water. Upon reaching the shore, the Coastguard Rescue Team assessed both casualties and deemed that the boy that had been in the water required urgent medical attention. Humber Coastguard requested that Rescue 128 from RAF Leconfield, who had been exercising nearby, airlift the boy to hospital.

Humber Coastguard Watch Manager Bev Allen said:

Having gone out in choppy seas and freezing temperatures in an inflatable dinghy that later capsized, these boys are lucky to have come back to shore alive. In fact, their successful rescue is only due to the help of the passing kayaker and the proximity of the helicopter, which was exercising nearby.

In sea temperatures such as we have experienced over the last few weeks, hypothermia could set in incredibly quickly, and you could fall unconscious in as little as 30 minutes. Always be aware of the hazards before you set out onto the water.

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 9401