Kayaker in Difficulty at Studland Beach

Saturday's patrol were at Knoll Beach when they noticed a kayaker in difficulty approx 100 metres offshore.  The individual had fallen off the sit-on kayak and was struggling to get back on board.  He'd also lost his paddle.

After a couple of attempts to get back on,the patrol immediately notified the National Maritime Operations Centre who paged the Swanage Inshore Lifeboat.  By the time the kayaker realised he was in danger and waved for help, the emergency response was already swinging into action.  The vehicle's blue lights were used to alert the casualty that he'd been spotted and that help was on its way.

The Coastguard team donned dry suits and called for back-up from the rest of the team in preparation for a water rescue.

When it was safe to do so, and when the kayaker was within range, Coastguard Steve waded out and rescued the kayaker and his vessel and brought them back to the beach and from there to the National Trust's First Aid room to recover and be checked over.

The kayak was brand new and it was the first time that the individual had been out.  Although he had taken the wise precaution of wearing a dry suit, he was mistakenly under the impression that this would act as a buoyancy aid - which it won't! 
For any beginner there's a whole host of safety advice , videos etc on the internet, such as this site here.  We'd recommend anyone to be sure what you are getting into.

Once the kayaker was warmed up and over the shock of what had happened, the team stood down and returned to base to clean down the kit.