Incident

Crews rescue paddleboarder

Firefighters rescued a paddle boarder after she got into difficulty on the River Stour at Flatford.

The woman fell into the water and her paddle board floated away today at 12.08pm. She managed to hold onto a tree and alert a passer-by who called 999.

Crews from Manningtree, Colchester and our Urban Search and Rescue team attended.

Station Manager Terry Maher said: "Although she was wearing a wetsuit, she didn't have a life jacket or floatation device and she hadn't used a leash to attach her to the paddle board and unfortunately it floated away from her.

"Manningtree's crew did a brilliant job; they were quickly able to find her and use throw lines to rescue her. Thank you also to Colchester's crew who used their inflatable sled to recover her paddle board.

"If you're going out on your paddle board, please make sure you wear a buoyancy aid and attach yourself to your paddle board using a leash."

The casualty was rescued by 12.40pm and was left in the care of the Ambulance Service as she was suffering from the effects of exposure to cold.

Closed
Person rescue
Incident number
186449
Attending station
Manningtree
Colchester
Urban Search And Rescue (usar) And Technical Rescue
Location
Flatford Mill, Flatford, East Bergholt
Date
12.08pm - 09 January 2023

Paddleboarding advice

  • Wear a buoyancy aid, even if you’re a competent swimmer 
  • Make sure that you have a leash that fits the paddle board for the conditions
  • Check the conditions before you head out  If conditions change while you’re out, head back to dry land 
  • Take a phone in a waterproof case and make sure it is full charge
  • Download a free smartphone app called what3words which can accurately describe your location if you don’t know where you are. It works without signal and emergency services across the world use it. 
  • If you're on your own, always tell someone where you’re going and how long you’ll be 
  • If you fall into the water, cold water shock can cause you to panic but these effects will pass in a less than a minute, try to relax and float on your back while you catch your breath and if you can, grab hold of something to help you float  
Be Water Aware

WATCH: Nick's message

Station Manager Nick Singleton is a stand up paddleboard enthusiast. Here's his advice...