The Float to Live Move That Saved a Kayaker Off Fowey

You capsize once and a friend pulls you back in. Then it happens again. And again. Your hands are too weak to grip the boat, the tide is dragging you away from the others, and you have been in cold water for half an hour. This is roughly where Dr Philip Coates found himself off Gribbin Head, and what he did next is worth knowing before you ever get on the water.

What happened off Cannis Rock

On Thursday 28 May, Falmouth Coastguard asked Fowey’s volunteer crew to launch their D class lifeboat to a kayaker in the water off Cannis Rock. The crew launched at 6:29pm and were on scene eight minutes later at 6:37pm.

They found one kayak semi-submerged with a 52-year-old man in the water. Two other kayaks were nearby, each with one person aboard. The man had already capsized several times and had been in the water for around half an hour.

The casualty was Dr Philip Coates, and he has described how a calm trip turned into an emergency.

He set off in good weather with his wife and a friend who has years of sea kayaking experience. After rounding Gribbin Head, Philip found his kayak increasingly unstable in choppy water and capsized. He could not release his spray deck and was trapped under the kayak for about a minute, with the rest of the team around 100m away. His friend reached him and he managed to get himself out, cold but safe.

The return leg was worse. Back at Gribbin Head the sea had turned choppier, the tide had strengthened, and Philip’s rudder stopped working. He struggled to hold his line with the other two kayaks and capsized three more times. His friend rescued him each time, but his core temperature was dropping and his arms were getting weaker. The kayak had flooded and they could not pump it out, so it offered little buoyancy.

“We fairly quickly came to conclusion that a rescue was required and a 999 call was placed, and RNLI attendance was requested,” Philip said.

He reckons he was in the water for half an hour to 40 minutes, shivering harder as time went on. The lifeboat arrived at the same time as a small fishing vessel. The crew recovered Philip into the lifeboat and began warming him straight away, first with a dry robe and then supplementary oxygen. An ambulance crew met him on his return, put him in a shower and gave him warm fluids. He did not need to be admitted to hospital and was able to leave after an hour or so.

The one thing Philip remembered in the water

While he waited, Philip used his upturned kayak for buoyancy and kept as still as he could. He put that down to the RNLI’s Float to Live campaign, which he had remembered at the right moment.

Cold water steals your strength fast. The instinct is to thrash and try to climb back onto the boat, which is exactly what burns the energy and body heat you need. Floating buys you time to get your breathing under control and think clearly, and it keeps your head above water while help is on the way.

What to do if you end up in the water

The RNLI’s Float to Live guidance comes down to five steps.

1. Tilt your head back, submerging your ears.
2. Relax and try to control your breathing.
3. Gently move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat. Your legs may sink, and that is fine. Everyone floats differently.
4. Spread your arms and legs out to improve your stability. Floating gives you the chance to rest and recover your breathing.
5. Once you have control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.

Philip did exactly that, and he was met on the slipway by an ambulance crew rather than something far worse.

📷Fowey volunteers rescue the capsized kayaker - Credit: Fowey RNLI