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A still from a crew member’s head cam footage, showing the bow of an inshore lifeboat powering through a calm, grey sea

‘I didn’t even realise I was cold’

Photo: RNLI/Nick Marks

It is a mid-summer evening in Lyme Regis. James and his wife Elise have taken a dip in the sea when James suddenly starts feeling unwell. There’s no vehicle access to the beach and there are no lifeguards, so the couple are completely on their own. Luckily, they have enough battery and a phone signal to be able to call 999 and ask for help.

The Coastguard immediately requests the launch of the Lyme Regis lifeboat and Volunteer Helm Tom Crabbe and his crew are soon heading out to sea. After scouring the coastline, they find James and Elise close to a remote stretch of sand known as St Gabriel’s Mouth.

James fills in the story: ‘Our aim had been to go for a long walk, go to a remote beach for a bit of a swim and then have a picnic. Elise had got out after 5 minutes, but I stayed in the water and went up and down the beach a couple of times, probably for about 30 minutes. Then I got out, with the intention of drying off and having some food.

‘The scary thing was that I didn’t know I had hypothermia. I came out of the water and didn’t even realise I was cold. I sat there for 5 minutes, dried off and then realised “Oh, I don’t feel right”. It wasn’t like I was shivering. It was a horrible sensation that something awful was happening to me and I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t think it was a heart attack or stroke as I kept checking my pulse.’

‘I had no idea what was happening to me. It wasn’t dizziness. I thought maybe it could be a bit of seasickness,’ says James. ‘I wanted to look away from the waves but as soon as I did, I realised something wasn’t OK. It was really bizarre. I tried to walk away and fell to the ground and was lying there. It wasn’t until I saw the lifeboat crew that I understood something serious was happening.’

Two of the crew from the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Spirit of Loch Fyne swam ashore to assess the couple and provide them with casualty care. James, who is in his forties, was cold, exhausted and in need of urgent medical care.

The crew’s next challenge was how to extract James and Elise. The only access to the beach was via steep wooden steps. Tom says: ‘The couple were in quite a tricky position. They were cold after swimming and an ambulance couldn’t reach them. They needed to be taken out by lifeboat. James was in the worst condition, so he was our priority.’

A still from a crew member’s head cam footage, showing the bow of an inshore lifeboat powering through a calm, grey sea

Photo: RNLI/Nick Marks

The crew beached the lifeboat and managed to get James onboard, returning him as quickly and safely as they could to Lyme Regis Harbour, and from there into the care of a team of paramedics.

‘The crew were absolutely brilliant,’ remembers James. ‘They were so understanding. They kept talking to me, keeping me going. We were there with two border collies belonging to my parents and they can be characters – the crew were great with them too. They took me back to the lifeboat station first on the boat. They were great getting me onto the boat and some of them stayed with Elise and the dogs, and then they got the dogs into the boat – no mean feat. They were a really good team. The impression I got is that they enjoyed each other’s company. In other circumstances I would have loved bombing along the coast in a boat with them. I couldn’t fault them in any shape or form.’

After two trips – one with James and one with Elise and the two border collies – everyone was safely returned to the harbour. 

The last word goes to James. ‘We’re both doing fine now. I got hypothermia and it took me a while to recover. I was probably expecting it to take a couple of days, but it was a couple of weeks before I felt better.’

A person is swimming in open water and is wearing a swimming hat, goggles and wetsuit

RNLI/Nathan Williams

Entering the water slowly will allow your body time to get used to the cold temperature

Your top safety tips for cold water dips

Going for a swim in cold, open water can be exhilarating, but it’s not without risk.

  • Before you enter the water, assess the conditions.
  • If the water is too rough for swimming, don’t go in.
  • Know your limits – depending on the conditions, you may need to swim less or closer to the bank or shore.
  • The colder the water or the air, the quicker you will cool down, and the less time you can safely spend in the water.

Stay safe on your next swim

Whether you’re swapping the swimming pool for open water or just enjoying a quick dip, here’s how you can stay safe and make the most of your time in the water. 

Get tips and advice

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