On Saturday 19/06/2021 I decided to take my new kayak out for my first time, although I have tried it on lakes and rivers this was my first outing to the ocean. I left for a small coastal village of coombe Martin i Devon, United Kingdom. everything started fine but the weather quickly changed and I decided to seek shelter in a nearby bay about a mile from the point I launched from.

tired from the rough paddle I wanted to anchor my kayak and wait for the wind to change and ride back the incoming tide, I reached round the back of my kayak to grab my anchor and as I did the kayak capsized and I ended up in the cold water. I was tired and the rough conns made a self rescue impossible I tried for 20 minutes without success so I made the decision to swim to the small cluster of rocks 100 meters away half way there I realised I couldn’t make it and panic set it battered and bruised from holding onto the kayak, jelly fish stings to my legs and now hyperthermic I reached for my VHF but had no reception so I pulled my ACR resQlink view out and deployed it. I again made one last attempt for shore and made it just as a coastguard helicopter arrived on scene followed by 2 life boats. I expected a long wait and emotionally I was broken the resQlink not only worked it was so fast I was inside a rescue boat and being taken back to safety within just 10 mins of raising the alarm! ACR and the resQlink is the reason I survived to tell my story! I lost my beacon in the rescue but will never go anywhere again without buying a new one. when there is no signal or anyone around an ACR beacon can and will save your life I am living proof of that! Thank you ACR