Witness hits out as no one helps sailor who capsized (From Bournemouth Echo)

Witness hits out as no one helps sailor who capsized

11:30am Wednesday 1st August 2012 in News

DRAMA: Ham Common . Picture: Gary Ellson of Bournemouth Helicopters.

A man who watched from Ham Common, Poole as others failed to help a distressed sailor sitting on an upturned dinghy, is calling on mariners to be more aware.

Bergen Rixon, who was enjoying his fish and chip supper on Monday evening with friend Jay Hick, alerted a kayaker to the plight of the dinghy sailor who had capsized, with the boom stuck in the sand, and was having difficulty righting his boat.

“Jet skiers were going past and taking no notice of the man struggling to lift his dinghy out of the water,” said Mr Rixon from Lytchett Minster.

He said fishermen on the jetty and people on the beach were watching and no one did anything to help.

The kayaker paddled out and helped the man, who drifted in to the Royal Marines compound and was aided to land his boat on the beach where Mr Rixon helped him put it on a trailer.

“Unless people care about this sort of thing and keep an eye out for other people on the water, it’s amazing how quickly things can turn from what seems a happy situation to death,” said the former seaman.