Brave 8-year-old boy uses phone to call for help after kayaking incident
L'essentiel
- An 8-year-old boy, Marley, showed remarkable calmness and maturity by using a mobile phone to call his grandmother after he and his grandfather, Dai Jones, capsized their kayak off the coast of Wales.
- They drifted over two miles in strong currents before being rescued by the RNLI, with Marley receiving a special medal for his bravery.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
An eight-year-old boy and his grandfather were kayaking off the coast of Wales when their kayak capsized. They drifted over two miles from the shore in strong currents. Both were wearing life jackets.
A brave eight-year-old boy helped save his grandad after the pair drifted more than two miles (3km) from the coast on a capsized kayak.
Marley and his granscha, David "Dai" Jones, from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, had been kayaking off Fontygary in the Vale of Glamorgan on 27 May when they capsized and were unable to get back onboard.
Dai managed to help Marley back onto the kayak but could not climb back on himself. He remained in the water holding on as the pair drifted in the strong Bristol Channel currents.
Despite the "frightening" situation, Marley remained calm and used a mobile phone kept in a waterproof pouch to contact his nan on shore, who called 999.
"I was getting tired and cold and there was a point where I wasn't sure I'd make it," Dai said.
"But I was trying to stay positive and keep calm for Marley because I didn't want him to be frightened. Seeing the lifeboat arrive was a huge relief."
By the time crews reached them, Marley and Dai had drifted about two-and-a-half miles in around 25 minutes, from Fontygary Steps to near the Cason by Aberthaw.
Both were wearing life jackets and were safely recovered, along with the kayak, before being returned to shore and handed to Coastguard volunteers.
Although conditions were warm and sunny, the RNLI said sea temperatures off the Vale coastline were about 11C to 12C.
A few days later, Dai, Marley and Marley's dad, Joe, visited Barry Dock RNLI Lifeboat Station where Marley was presented with a special medal to recognise the "calmness, courage and maturity" he showed during the incident.
"When I called my nan, I told her I was okay, but granscha looked like he was drowning and we needed help," Marley said.
"When I visited the lifeboat station afterwards, the crew taught me about float to live."
Andy, helm of the inshore lifeboat, said Marley and Dai had done "exactly the right things" by wearing life jackets, staying with the kayak and calling for help.
"I'd particularly like to praise Marley," he added.
"He remained incredibly calm throughout the incident.
"In what must have been a frightening situation...he showed real maturity and stayed level-headed throughout.
"We're really pleased this incident ended safely and it was great to meet everybody at the lifeboat station because we don't often get the chance to chat to the people we rescue."
Questions ouvertes
- What caused the kayak to capsize?
- Were there any contributing factors to the strong currents?
- What specific safety advice was given to Marley at the lifeboat station?
