Essex Police marine officers have been praised by a yachtman whose boat was towed in to Brightlingsea after being caught in strong winds and rough seas off Clacton.
Roy Harris and his partner Caroline Wilson were sailing back to the River Crouch from Kent on August 25 when their yacht Samphire began to take on water and ropes controlling a sail parted. Mr Harris, who was also suffering from severe seasickness, radios a PAN-PAN distress call and the first vessel to respond was the Essex Police rigid inflatable, Sentinel.
Sergeant Alex Southgate, PC John Perry and special constable Scott Mccabe were on Operation Wave-Breaker patrols when they picked up the call. Working with the Dover Coastguard Operations Centre, they located the 40ft yacht near Gunfleet Sands windfarm, four miles off Clacton.
Mr Harris said: “We sailed for six to seven hours in good conditions but then the water started whipping up. The the jib sheet broke, the ropes got tangled and water started pouring through the hatch. “I became exhausted very quickly and sent a PAN-PAN. The Marine Unit turned up out of the blue – I wasn’t expecting them at all.”
“When Alex leapt on to the boat, touched my arm and said ‘you’re safe now’ it was such a comfort. I had been scared for my life.
The sea conditions made the approach to the yacht difficult, but Sgt Southgate said that PC Perry’s skill at the helm of their boat enabled him to cross over safely.
“Having done this, I was able to check the crew and ascertain that the skipper was suffering from severe sea sickness and was in a state of shock. Once we’d checked everything over, I was able to take control of the yacht and steer it to the safety of Brightlingsea Harbour,” he added.
Soon after the police boarded the yacht, the Burnham-on-Crouch lifeboat and the Gunfleet Sands Windfarm crew transfer vessel also arrived on the scene – pictured below. Due to the weather conditions and the yacht’s damaged sail, the journey into Brightlingsea took more than two hours – more than twice as long as it would have taken in normal conditions.
After the incident, Mr Harris said: “When Alex leapt on to the boat, touched my arm and said ‘you’re safe now’, it was such a comfort. I had been scared for my life. I can’t express my gratitude and appreciation enough. I feel like my life has been saved.”
