Young Man Pulled Unconscious From Sea in Dramatic Rescue Off Selsey
A young man was pulled from the sea moments after disappearing beneath the surface during a dramatic RNLI rescue off the West Sussex coast. The incident unfolded at around 1.30pm on Tuesday, 14 July, as Selsey RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat (ALB) was returning to station after a three-and-a-half-hour training exercise. The crew had been preparing to recover the lifeboat when station mechanic James Albrey, who was ashore, received a report that a person believed to be on a kayak was in difficulty around half a mile offshore near Danefield Road. The lifeboat’s coxswain immediately diverted the vessel and headed at speed towards the reported location.
Casualty disappeared beneath the surface
As the crew approached the west side of Selsey, they spotted two inflatable dinghies before seeing a young man in the water approximately 150 metres away struggling to stay afloat. As the lifeboat came alongside, the casualty suddenly disappeared beneath the surface. In a dramatic rescue, one crew member managed to seize the young man’s arm before two other RNLI volunteers hauled him safely aboard the lifeboat. The casualty was taken to the stern of the vessel where the crew immediately began casualty care assessments. The lifeboat then recovered two other young men who had been in the inflatable dinghies. RNLI volunteers said one of the pair had entered the water in an attempt to rescue his friend but was unable to reach him before climbing back into the inflatable.
Multi-agency emergency response
Throughout the incident, HM Coastguard coordinated the emergency response, tasking Selsey Coastguard Rescue Team, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Sussex Police to attend the lifeboat station. Selsey’s inshore lifeboat (ILB) was also launched to transfer all three men safely ashore. Despite the ordeal, all three casualties declined medical treatment after reaching land and left the scene.
Rescue came just in time
Selsey RNLI said the all-weather lifeboat had been taking part in a new coxswain assessment exercise and was only moments away from being recovered onto the beach when the emergency call came in. Had the request for help arrived just a short time later, the response would have been delayed while the lifeboat was recovered. The charity praised the swift actions of its volunteer crew and the coordinated response between the RNLI, HM Coastguard, ambulance service and Sussex Police, which helped bring the incident to a successful conclusion.
