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Beach Patrol Staff at Clacton have been hailed as heroes
for the second time in a week after they pulled a drowning man from
the sea.
A woman called for help after she spotted the 22-year-old from
Colchester in difficulty off the town's West Beach this
evening.
Tendring District Council's (TDC) Beach Patrol Team launched
their rescue boat and Senior Seafront Warden John Shipman and Beach
Patrol Steve Duggan went to his aid.
They managed to pull him into the boat and get him ashore and
cleared his airway. He had taken in water and they looked after him
until paramedics arrived on the scene.
The man was taken away to Colchester General Hospital by
ambulance along with a friend who accompanied him.
Seafront Warden Michelle Pointing, took care of calling the
Coastguard and Ambulance and looking after other duties while John
and Steve went out in the boat.
"The woman was hanging on to a breakwater and calling for help
for the man," she said.
"The woman managed to swim ashore unaided but the man had to be
rescued by the boat. He was conscious but his condition began to
worsen."
Seafront Warden Mark Thompson guided the paramedics down to the
beach where the casualty was being looked after by John and
Steve.
He also took care of controlling the crowd that had gathered at
the scene.
"There were a lot of people about as it was still very warm,"
she said. "I think the man who was rescued had been down to visit
Clacton for the day with friends."
The rescue boat was launched at about 5.30pm and the paramedics
arrived at the beach at 5.50pm. The ambulance took the man away at
around 6.15pm.
John Shipman was also involved in helping to rescue a man from
the sea at Clacton on Saturday. He had collapsed back in the water
and was under the surface when John and Edward Vaughan-Chatfield
got him to safety.
Steve Duggan was also involved in the rescue of a woman who got
into difficulties at Walton at Easter. She went into the water to
rescue her dog which had been washed into the sea by a massive
wave. Both were saved.
Pierre Oxley, Portfolio Holder for Leisure at TDC, said this
evening's rescue was another fine example of the work of the
Council's Beach Patrol Team.
"I really cannot praise them enough," he said. "We are very
fortunate along the Tendring Coast to have such a dedicated team of
people.
"This is another man who has been rescued from the sea and who
probably owes his life to our
staff." |