Beach rescue man shares his dramatic story
A MAN who was rescued from the rocky shores of Mossyard is encouraging others to take precautions ahead of sharing his story on Channel 5 show ‘Coastguard’.
Brian Bennett, 67, was on holiday with his wife Sue at their caravan at Mossyard Caravan Park in August 2023 when the couple and some friends went wave jumping and body boarding at the nearby beach.
But Brian got into difficulty in the water after a change of current and he ended up clinging to rocks whilst being battered by the choppy waters.
Recalling the experience, he said: “I’d describe it as being in a rock-faced washing machine.
“I managed to wedge my left arm into a gap in the rock where I was sitting. I basically hammered it into the gap with my right fist so my arm was locked into the rock so that if a wave did hit me there was something there that could potentially hold me up.”
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Meanwhile, Brian’s friends and wife made it back to shore and called for help. The Kirkcudbright RNLI lifeboat responded along with the HM Coastguard helicopter from Caernarfon, Wales.
Brian added: “I was sat on the rocks for about two and a bit hours.
“I don’t know how I would’ve survived going into the water.
“I’m quite a practical chap, and I was wondering if Sue knows if I’ve got accidental death insurance, because I thought I was high risk at that time. Along with thoughts of how she would cope if something did happen to me.
“That was going through my mind, but I was trying not to think about it and just stay on that piece of rock and not get washed off it.
“It felt like forever, it even felt like forever when the helicopter was over my head, but in reality in was a minute, but it felt like an hour.”
Since his ordeal Brian has returned to Mossyard several times on holiday and kayaked and sailed in the same waters.
And earlier this year he shared his ordeal with the TV show, with the episode due to air this week.
Ahead of that he spoke out about the importance of water safety, adding: “Luckily I was wearing a full wetsuit which certainly protected me, but it was all black. I’ve seen the helicopter footage of my rescue and you can’t see me on the rock because the wetsuit is shiny black and wet, like the rocks I’m sitting on. I couldn’t see myself at all. I still had the bright purple body board I was using and I was sitting on it to protect my back on the rocks, so when the helicopter came I pulled the body board out and put it on my chest, then you could see me quite clearly.
“It surprises me how much sailing gear is all black without any colour, so now I’m an advocate of wearing bright colours in the water. It’s not just for your own safety, but if you need to be rescued you’re much more visible.”
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