Hayling Island RNLI lifeboats responded in great haste when a 62 year old man with health problems fell from his catamaran into Chichester Harbour in fading light.

On Sunday evening, 4th October, the casualty was transferring from his dinghy into his 28ft catamaran which was anchored in Chichester Harbour near the Witterings when his rope ladder broke and he fell back into the shallow water and got stuck in the mud. He had been rowing back from the shore after dropping off a friend who had helped him sail the boat round from Littlehampton. They had anchored in the harbour waiting for the tide before going into Thornham Marina.

With a rising tide he was unable to get back into his boat so used his mobile phone to call for help from the Coastguard. Both the Hayling Island inshore lifeboats, the Atlantic 85, Derrick Battle,  and the D Class lifeboat, Amanda, James & Ben, were launched just after 7pm in the fading light. Within 5 minutes both lifeboats were in the vicinity of the casualty who was still talking to Solent Coastguard on his mobile phone and could hear the lifeboats approaching. The voluntary lifeboat crew heard his cries and found him in the shallow, muddy water clinging to his boat.

The casualty, with existing health problems, had been in the water for around 30 minutes and was suffering from hypothermia. He was quickly taken by the Atlantic 85 lifeboat back to the lifeboat station where the RNLI’s local paramedic and shore crew cared for him until an ambulance arrived.

Meanwhile the crew in the D Class lifeboat retrieved the casualty’s personal belongings from his boat, including his medication and mobile phone.

The Atlantic 85 re-launched a short while later to tow the catamaran to Sparkes Marina where it was made safe. Andy Ferguson, Senior Helm said: 'The gentleman from Worthing was incredibly lucky that his mobile phone, which was not in a waterproof case, remained dry and workable when he fell into the water. There was no one around who would have heard his cries and with the tide rising he would have been in severe difficulty.'