Watch as our Marine Unit helps yacht in distress – skipper praises officers’ bravery

A yachtsman rescued in heavy seas off Clacton by our Marine Unit has praised the officers’ bravery.

Roy Harris and his partner Caroline Wilson were sailing back to the River Crouch from Kent on Sunday 25 August when a storm whipped up unexpectedly.

With his yacht, the Samphire, taking on water and its jib sheet (sail rope) torn, Mr Harris radioed a PAN-PAN message to alert nearby boats and emergency services that their vessel had an urgent problem.

Sergeant Alex Southgate, PC John Perry and special constable Scott Mccabe were on Operation Wave-Breaker patrols in the force rib Sentinel when they picked up the distress call. Working with the Dover Coastguard Operations Centre, they located the 40ft-yacht near Gunfleet Sands off-shore wind farm, four miles off Clacton.

Mr Harris says:

“When Alex leapt on to the boat, touched my arm and said ‘You’re safe now’ it was such a comfort. I had been scared for my life.
“The officers should be recognised for their bravery – they don’t just nick criminals, they save people’s lives.”

He said Sunday’s storm had not been forecast because, otherwise, he would not have set sail from the Isle of Sheppey earlier that day.

“We sailed for six to seven hours in good conditions but then the water started whipping up and, when we turned into the Crouch, the wind caught the tender (dinghy) on the front of Samphire, the jib sheet broke, the ropes got tangled and water started pouring through the hatch.
“I became exhausted very quickly and sent a PAN-PAN. I didn’t want to call for assistance because the airwaves were busy but I had no choice.
“The Essex Police Marine Unit turned up out of the blue – I wasn’t expecting them at all.
“I can’t express my gratitude and appreciation enough. I feel like my life has been saved.”

Alex says:

“It was a very windy day and large waves were crashing over Samphire, making our approach particularly dangerous, but PC Perry’s skill and judgement at the helm enabled him to get Sentinel safely alongside.
“He timed everything perfectly with the wave movement and the rising and falling of the yacht to allow me to safely cross over and board the yacht.
“Having done this, I was able to check the crew and ascertain that the skipper was suffering from severe sea sickness and was in a state of shock. Once we’d checked everything over, I was able to take control of the yacht and steer it to the safety of Brightlingsea Harbour.
“During all of this, SC Mccabe kept us in touch with Dover and our own control centre, which was vital.
“Shortly after I’d boarded Samphire, the Burnham-on-Crouch lifeboat and the Gunfleet Sands Wind farm crew transfer vessel attended the scene. It’s great to know everyone’s got each other’s back at sea.”

Due to the weather conditions and the yacht’s damaged sail, the journey took more than two hours in rough seas – it would usually take 45 minutes in normal conditions.

Alex says:

“The Essex Police Marine Unit’s top priority is to keep members of our marine communities safe on land and water and a key part of our role is search and rescue.
“Thankfully, we were out on Operation Wave-Breaker patrols in the area that day and were able to locate Mr Harris and his partner in time.”

Our marine officers run Operation Wave-Breaker from April to September each year to tackle anti-social behaviour and promote water safety, mounting high-visibility patrols along the Essex coastline to keep water-users safe.

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