Man rescued after using mobile phone to guide the coastguard to his location

At around 4.30pm on Thursday 27^th December, Yarmouth Coastguard received a call from a woman reporting that her husband needed help in the area between Brancaster and Wells. The man had been walking his dog on the beach when he became cut off by the tide. After attempting to swim to safety he realized he was in serious trouble.

Luckily he managed to get out of the cold water and telephone the coastguard and guide the rescue team to his exact location using the torch on his mobile phone.

The Wells and Hunstanton Coastguard Rescue Teams and a rescue helicopter from RAF Wattisham managed rescue the man and his dog and took the man to hospital at Kings Lynn where he was treated for exposure.

Christina Martyn, watch manager, said: “If you are cut off by the tide and find yourself unsure of your location, you should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Do not attempt to find your own way back by entering the water.

“To assist the rescue teams in finding you, we recommend you carry a mobile phone, not only so we can talk with you, but so it can also be used as a torch.”

It is important to keep your phone charged and have a contingency should you find yourself in a dangerous situation. The Universal Emergency Barrel Charger includes a range of tips for use with most handsets including Micro USB. It provides you with an extra 2.5 hours of talk time, all from one AA battery that can be replaced as many times as you need. Best of all it’s compact size means that it is fully portable, so you will never find yourself without power when you need it most!