Local News

Dramatic video footage shows a man being rescued from the sea at Redcar yesterday afternoon (Saturday 15th October).

Shortly after High tide around 4pm, in what was described by his friends as "a drunken mistake", a man decided to enter rough seas for a swim on steps opposite the Zetland Lifeboat Museum.

He quickly got into difficulties as heavy seas and strong currents prevented him from returning to shore.

As his brother and a friend attempted to assist him, the man could be heard shouting for help by members of the public on the Esplanade. It's believed a member of the public then joined in the efforts to assist the man to shore.

Ferdos Ramazan from Billingham, who was visiting Redcar with her family, captured the dramatic events on her phone.

Members of the public and listeners to the radio station have been reacting strongly on the Zetland FM Facebook page to the story, with many commenting on the actions of the un-named male.

The men involved in the rescue, have described a member of the public who waded in to assist them, as a "diamond geezer".

Andrew O'Connor and Ste Peacock told Zetland FM how the man who was with them had to be rescued after stripping to his underwear and entering the rough seas.

Describing what happened, Andrew said: "It was a drunken mistake and he thought 'right, I'll jump in the sea and just have a little swim', but he went from being near the shore, to getting pulled out to sea, then all the way down [towards the Beacon slipway].

We followed him all the way down to near enough the other little slope and then we jumped in to get him. Then some lad who we didn't even know, jumped in and came in with us and saved him. God knows what his name is, but I tell you what, he's a godsend. He helped us pull him out of the water. I kept his head up and he kept pulling him out.

So what a diamond geezer!"

The UK Coastguard received multiple 999 calls at 3.55pm to report the man in difficulties and the Redcar RNLI inshore lifeboat was tasked, together with a Coastguard helicopter and the Redcar Coastguard rescue team.

Dave Cocks, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Redcar RNLI, said: "We were paged just before 4pm after UK Coastguard received a large number of 999 calls. When our crew arrived they could see the man was being rescued by two other men, believed to have been with him at the time he went into the sea. The lifeboat crew attended to the man until an ambulance paramedic arrived to give the man treatment.

The lifeboat and rescue helicopter were stood down and the man and one of his rescuers was taken by ambulance to hospital for checks."

Dave Cocks added: "The man really is extremely lucky to be alive. The sea is very rough as a result of the strong winds we’ve had over the past few days, plus this happened right on high tide. We also believe alcohol has played a part in this incident."

The RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign highlights the the effects of cold water on the body, particularly when alcohol has been consumed.

Cold-water shock can stop the heart no matter how fit you are, then steal the air from your lungs so you can’t cry for help. The cold can paralyse your limbs in minutes, as the blood moves to your organs to keep them warm. And even if you’re a strong swimmer, you can drown just a few metres from safety. 

Knowing the unpredictability of water could save your life.

For more information on the RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign go to www.respectthewater.com