Published: July 12, 2009
Stricken sailor swims to Brean Down after falling overboard

A sailor who fell overboard into the Bristol Channel managed to swim to Brean Down where he was rescued by a team of Burnham-On-Sea Coastguards on Saturday (July 11th).

The man, from Weston, had set sail alone from Uphill on Saturday morning and had got into dificulty in Weston Bay.

Burnham Coastguard Officer Ian Jefferies told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "He was the only person onboard the trimaran and, despite being a very experienced sailor, had ended up in the sea after being accidentally knocked overboard."

"He managed to swim to the shore of Brean Down, scramble through bushes and across the rocky terrain to get the attention of a walker with a mobile phone."

"He was very well equipped with all the right buoyancy aids, and was just very unfortunate to have got into this position. If he hadn't been so well equipped, this could have been a very serious situation."

"His trimaran was retrieved from near Newport later on Saturday after being pulled down the Bristol Channel."

"The incident clearly shows how potentially dangerous and fast-flowing the tides are in this part of the estuary - and how using the right safety equipment is so important."

RELATED LINKS:

Coastguard website for Burnham-On-Sea