Coastguard warns sea users after paddle boarders rescued at Icart
THE coastguard has asked people at sea to remember that conditions can change rapidly.
It was alerted to a group of eight paddle boarders off Icart Point on Sunday afternoon.
At about 1pm, the boarders were experiencing difficulties due to the sea conditions in the area.
Eye witness Nigel Le Page said: ‘I was out on the cliffs and could see down in the distance what looked like a struggling paddle boarder in the water, they looked absolutely exhausted. Although we were up on the cliffs you could tell that not all was right – it all looked very strange.’
Fortunately, a passing vessel was able to pick up five members of the group and return them to shore at Petit Bot Bay while the other members were able to paddle back to the same location themselves.
No local search and rescue craft were deployed during the incident.
Guernsey Coastguard said it was grateful to the vessel’s master for helping the paddle boarders during the incident.
A Guernsey Coastguard spokesman said: ‘We would strongly encourage anyone carrying out activities at sea to monitor shipping forecasts to keep an eye on the weather.
‘We also advise them to have the appropriate safety equipment to hand before setting out on a trip as conditions at sea can change very quickly.’
