Steve (61) and Alyssa Close (11) had taken to the water in Pevensey Bay, Eastbourne, during a trip to the area with relatives to celebrate the 60th birthday of Steve’s wife, Sharon.
Steve was in a kayak and Alyssa on a paddleboard about 300 metres from shore when without warning the situation changed: Alyssa’s paddle went astray, the rain fell, visibility dropped, and the wind and waves suddenly strengthened, irresistibly blowing them out into deeper water.
Steve said: “We were in the shallows to start off with when my granddaughter dropped her paddle. I kayaked over to get it and she started quickly drifting. Then the wind caught us and took us out to sea.”
The pair had given themselves the best chance of being found safely having gone out fully prepared wearing wetsuits, personal flotation devices, and carrying a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch.
Back on land, Sharon was watching them with growing concern when she got a call from Steve, whose 24 years’ experience in the Royal Navy had kicked into gear.
Steve said: “I phoned Sharon to ask for help and she called 999 for the Coastguard. We kept drifting, so I got Alyssa into the kayak and we lashed it together with the paddleboard.”
Keeping calm, they sat back-to-back to watch out for rescue and held Steve’s bright orange paddle in the air to catch attention.
By this time, they were nearly out of sight to Sharon. But HM Coastguard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Fareham was soon able to call Steve direct to check his location and reassure him help was on its way.
Just 50 minutes after the alarm had been raised at about 1pm, the RNLI's inshore lifeboat from Eastbourne had found the pair. They were brought back to shore chilly, but safe and well, where they were met by Eastbourne Coastguard Rescue Team.
Steve said: “We did the right thing. Everyone knew where we were, and someone was on the beach able to keep a lookout.
“I was used to the currents but the wind just overtook us. Once we were beyond the sandbar we were in deeper water and we dared not get out.”
He advised others using watercraft: “I’d say just that the key thing is to make sure they have a phone on them to make contact and that people know where they are. If you’re in trouble, call 999 and ask for Coastguard.”
For more advice about staying safe on watercraft visit https://hmcoastguard.uk/sea
