Casey Burges spotted the capsizing boat from the beach 600m away. Using his kite, Casey managed to transport the casualty to safety. The rescued man was competing in a sailing event in Christchurch when his boat capsized.
From Highcliffe Beach, Casey saw the small one-man sailing boat had capsized with no-one visible nearby. Thanks to his training and water sports knowledge, the qualified kite-surfing instructor knew whoever was on board would now be taken out to sea.
Casey says: “I was just really lucky to be there and able to help out. It was great to put the RNLI training into practice and make a difference to someone.”
Casey’s mum even helped out with the rescue. Casey recalls: “Mum was on the beach that day too so she looked after the man and gave him a lift back to the sailing club while I let everyone looking for him know that he was safe. She was really brilliant”.
Using his kite to travel over to the boat, Casey spent five minutes searching for the sailor. He found the man fully conscious but very tired. Immediately ditching his board in the water, Casey got the man to hold onto the back of his harness and, for ten minutes, used his kite to transport the two of them to the safety.
Mike Winter, Lifeguard Supervisor for Boscombe, says: “What Casey did was extremely brave and he did a brilliant job - and to save a life using just kite-surfing equipment is nothing short of spectacular!”
The RNLI are running a national campaign encouraging people to Respect The Water. For more information on how to stay safe by or in the sea, visitwww.respectthewater.com
For more information contact Dom Stephens on 01202 336789
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
