A kite surfer has thanked Burnham-On-Sea’s lifeboat crew for coming to his rescue after he got into difficulty in the sea on Monday afternoon.
Andrew Kruszynski from Bristol, pictured, was taking advantage of the strong onshore winds by kite surfing when several lines became twisted and he lost his board in the sea.
“My kite lines got tangled up, making it very difficult to control, then my board came off in the sea and floated away,” he told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“I climbed up the navigation pole at the end of the jetty in the water to try and see where the board was. The RNLI helped me safely down and got me back to the shore,” he said. “I was slightly embarrassed, but grateful for their help.”
“I have been out in far stronger winds than this so it was just bad luck that it happened here.”
Burnham Lifeboat spokesman Mike Lang added: “Our volunteers were glad to help, but it is not a good idea to climb navigation marks, in case of accidental damage, which can adversely affect other water users. He had also placed himself at risk by his action.”
The rescued man being taken back to shore by the RNLI lifeboat
Burnham RNLI’s lifeboat was called out just after 1.10pm to help the kite surfer. Crew members recovered him and his board, pictured above, soon after
Burnham Coastguards co-ordinated the rescue from the town’s beach
The man was seen clinging to the pole as the crew arrived (pic/video Helen Brodie/RNLI)
