Three kitesurfers honoured for daring rescue
Jeff Spiller, on a calmer day
Well - it was, three kitesurfers were having a ball in the challenging conditions when they came across one man in an inflatable dinghy, dressed only in his street clothes. His boat had taken on water after it was swamped by a rogue wave, and had consequently sunk offshore. The inflatable he was sitting in had no motor, so was quickly being blown towards the treacherous shore break. All this guy could say was to help his friend in the water - who only had a life ring to cling to.
Two of the three kitesurfers left to flag down a nearby coastguard patrol, and the remaining rider: Jeff Spiller managed to find the mans friend, desperately clinging to his life ring which was barely keeping him afloat. Spiller had to make a split decision whether to or not to drag the man towards, or away from the dangerous waves. He chose the former, but after almost making his way into the break, he spotted the Coastguard vessel coming towards them, so he turned around and dragged the victim back out to sea - who was subsequently rescued by the Coastguard.
Unfortunately, the man in the boat did not survive the ordeal. After an eight and a half hour search using 3 boats and a helicopter, rescue teams could not locate his body anywhere within a 44mile radius. They called off the search, and found his body several days later. Captain Roger Christiansen was originally piloting his 43-foot tugboat 'Richardson Bay' in search of a sunken Skiff, when they themselves took on water and sunk. Harrison, one of the kitesurfers recalls the mans final moments: "His last wishes were that we go and help his mate, which we did. I don't think he knew what kind of surf he was about to deal with, which makes me sad.”
This week the three kitesurfers were honoured by the national organising body - US Sailing for their life saving rescue on that day. US Sailing's Safety at Sea Committee member John Rousmaniere commented on this rescue: "Some people may not consider kite surfing to be a form of boating. However, these three sailors were dedicated to the centuries-old tradition that mariners care for other mariners by going to their rescue if need be, even if it may put the rescuers' lives at risk."
Well done to the three guys who saved a mans life - without their assistance both men would surely have perished in the seas. Luckily, kites were the perfect rescue craft in these conditions. Remember, next time conditions are a little dicey at your local beach, keep an eye out for others who may be in trouble, whether it's another kitesurfer, swimmer or shipwrecked crew member.
To read more about the rescue, and the honours the three men received, check out the US sailing website here.
Semaphore, SA
