Three kayakers who got into difficulty in the Lake District have been praised for their quick thinking after becoming lost while out on Derwentwater.
The Coastguard was called at around 11.30pm after the kayakers began to struggle.
Late yesterday evening, the Coastguard received a 999 call from a kayaker on Derwent Water Keswick, reporting three kayakers in need of assistance.
The initial 999 call from the kayaker reported the three had gotten into difficulty and became disorientated in the vicinity of Barrow Bay to Great Bay area on the southern side of Derwentwater.
One kayaker had entered the water but managed to successfully right and re-enter their kayak.
Now disorientated in the dark and no phone signal, one kayaker managed to return ashore to get phone signal and raise the alarm to the Coastguard.
Belfast Coastguard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre received the 999 call and a multi-agency response was initiated involving Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team, Maryport Coastguard Rescue Team, Cumbria police, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, Maryport Rescue and Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 199 from Prestwick.
With multiple assets arriving on scene and a command point established, rescue boats and land based search teams were very swiftly underway to locate both the first kayaker who had raised the alarm and their other two companions who were still lost and disorientated, but had managed to confirm they had managed to make it safely ashore.
With all three kayakers swiftly located and ashore, and confirmed to have no injuries, all assets were stood down, Whitehaven Coastguard Rescue Team said.
The team said: “These kayakers were very well equipped and experienced for their adventure, but with one of them having ended up in the water, the group then becoming disorientated and decided the best course of action was to raise the alarm for assistance.
“This type of incident, and with the improved weather now arriving, shows the importance of personnel who take to the water on our coast and lakes needing to carry multiple means of being able to raise the alarm for help – personal locator beacons, VHF Radio Ch16, distress flares, mobile phone in waterproof pouch – and not being worried to use these to summon emergency assistance early if required.”
