Fifteen "idiot" paddleboarders who ignored safety warnings had to be rescued after being blown out to sea in the West Country. Rob Wood, a Torbay beach business owner, helped to bring back the boarders.
Despite it appearing a calm day, conditions quickly changed and the group suddenly became caught out by 32mph offshore winds. Another 50 people were rounded up and turned back to shore after recklessly taking to the water, reports Devon Live.
Rob and a small team rescued one woman only to then see her partner in Bermuda shorts drifting towards the horizon more than a mile from shore. All the paddleboarders were brought back to land safely but only because Rob and staff risked their lives to save them.
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None of them were wearing buoyancy aids or had mobile phones to call for emergency help. Rob has warned that lives will be lost this summer unless education about the dangers of the sea and using Stand Up Paddleboards (SUPs) are heeded.
The drama happened on Sunday when sunny, benign conditions on Broadsands Beach near Brixham suddenly began to change. By 11.30am the wind had started to pick up and two hours later conditions were dangerous. The beach has no lifeguards.
Rob, a Jet Ski instructor who owns Broadsands Beach Watersports Centre, and staff decided to pack away for the day as conditions were too dangerous but some beach-goers ignored the safety warning signs and headed into to sea with their boards.
It took three hours to bring them all back to shore. Rob said: "In 16 years I have never witnessed such mass idiotic behaviour. "When will SUP safety be taken seriously?
"In conditions that saw winds gusting offshore idiots aplenty took to the water on their inflatable SUPs - mostly purchased at places like The Range and Lidl.
"We rescued 15 individuals who were being blown to sea. Not one was wearing a buoyancy aid and not one had a means of contact. All were on inflatable SUPs. One board had three teenagers on board."
"On top of these 15 individuals we made sure around another 50 were “turned around” and asked to return to shore for their own safety. My staff - some of which are family members - and I risked our lives because on the whole SUP safety is considered as some sort of joke and idiots seem regardless of any risk.
"If no action is taken there will sadly be a day this summer in the Bay where lives will lost - I take no pleasure from this prediction."
The rescue was undertaken with great assistance of Ashley on The Liberty Lass, said Rob. The final rescue of the day involved a couple of paddleboarders in their 30s or 40s. The woman was half a mile offshore. Having brought her back safely to the beach Rob and staff went back out to retrieve her partner who was panicking more than a mile out to sea.
"No buoyancy aid, no phone, no idea," said Rob. In trying to get onto Rob's ski the tow rope became caught and ultimately was drawn into its engine. The damage to the £14,000 machine is currently being assessed at the dealer.
Paddleboarding has soared in popularity in the last decade but Rob says many are sold in supermarkets without any safety advice being given about how to use them properly.
"I just want people to be aware of changing conditions. If you are at the beach enjoying water sports seek advice. Wear a buoyancy aid and check weather and tide conditions - and be aware that conditions can change very quickly."
