Burnham-On-Sea News
Burnham-On-Sea Beach Lifeguard Rescues Jet Skier
June 2004
Burnham-On-Sea’s Beach Lifeguard team rescued a man who got into difficulties after falling off his jet ski.
The incident involved a man in his early 20’s from Newport, Wales who had been riding a jet ski 100 metres from the shoreline close to Burnham-On-Sea’s jetty.
He began waving towards the shore to catch the attention of lifeguards and, being a non-swimmer, quickly became distressed.
Jeff Mattick, Burnham-On-Sea’s head beach lifeguard, performed the rescue by flipping over his paddle board to use it as a base to support the casualty.
Once stabilised, the casualty was quickly returned to the shore where he was checked over and released.
The incident was the first of the 2004 summer season for the four-strong team, who are based in a watch-hut at the top of Burnham’s slipway. The group is run by Sedgemoor District Council.
For details of when Burnham-On-Sea Beach Lifeguards are on duty and for more details about beach safety, see our Beach Safety Guide.
