Grandad tells of paddleboard rescue two miles out

The pair reunited with the crew that saved them to thank them and warn others

A man and his granddaughter who were blown two miles out to sea on a paddleboard and kayak have spoken about their ordeal.

Steve, 61, and Alyssa, 11, were paddling in Pevensey Bay on 31 May but as weather conditions worsened, they were pushed into deeper water.

Steve said: "We were about two miles out, a small dot on the horizon."

The pair, from Portsmouth, were eventually rescued by Eastbourne RNLI, and although cold, were unharmed.

'The wind was too strong'

On Monday, the pair reunited with the crew that saved them to thank them and warn others.

Steve said: "I hope people take note and are prepared when they go out, as things can change so quickly."

The navy veteran said: “I tied the kayak to the paddleboard and paddled as fast as I could, but I couldn’t defeat the wind, it was too strong."

However, he had a phone packed in a sealed case, so called his wife, Sharon, to alert the coastguard.

"I always bring my phone. It was concerning but I knew rescue was on the way. We both had lifejackets and wetsuits on," he said.

Alyssa added: “It happened so fast. I didn’t realise how far out we were.”

It comes as figures revealed that paddleboarder rescues have tripled from 52 rescues in 2019 to 155 last year.

On Sunday, a man and boy were airlifted to hospital after getting into difficulty off the coast of Eastbourne on a paddleboard.

The RNLI is urging people to always wear a buoyancy aid, tell someone where they are going, carry a mobile phone, check the weather, and know their limits.