British kayaker 'rescued by fishermen in English Channel after clinging onto buoy for two days' after vessel capsized

28 October 2022, 07:47 | Updated: 28 October 2022, 16:18

The British man was founding clinging to a buoy in the English Channel
The British man was founding clinging to a buoy in the English Channel. Picture: Facebook

By Daisy Stephens

A British man has been rescued by fishermen after being stranded on a buoy in the English Channel for several days.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The unnamed 28-year-old departed Dover for France in a kayak on October 15, according to Dutch media.

At some point along his journey his vessel capsized and he was left clinging to a buoy, where he reportedly ate seaweed and mussels to survive until help came.

Watch: 'Punch me on the nose and I won't listen': Andrew Marr destroys Just Stop Oil protests over painting stunts

Authorities told news outlet NOS the paddler had been on the buoy for around 48 hours.

He was finally found when the crew of cutter ship 'De Madelaine' of Dutch shipping company T. de Boer en Zonen spotted him on Thursday morning.

The kayaker was found clinging to a buoy
The kayaker was found clinging to a buoy. Picture: Facebook

The boat's captain, Teunis de Boer, told local media he noticed something strange on the buoy from a distance.

He grabbed a pair of binoculars and saw the man, wearing nothing but swimming trunks, "waving at us like a madman", De Telegraaf reports.

Read more: Elon Musk owns Twitter: Billionaire completes takeover of company and wields axe on top executives

Read more: Door-to-door salesman jailed for selling 'off' fish to vulnerable pensioners to support heroin and crack addiction

The crew threw him a life ring to bring him aboard
The crew threw him a life ring to bring him aboard. Picture: Facebook

The crew worked in turbulent weather conditions to get closer to the man, and threw him a life ring.

The kayaker - who was exhausted and reportedly had a body temperature of just 26C, and was bruised and exhausted - was brought aboard and given food and water.

He was wrapped in blankets as the crew called the French coastguard.

Too exhausted to speak, he expressed his gratitude to the fisherman by making heart signs with his hands.

The man was hypothermic and exhausted
The man was hypothermic and exhausted. Picture: Facebook
He was then airlifted to hospital
He was then airlifted to hospital. Picture: Facebook

The skipper said it was "a miracle" the paddler had survived.

The crew had not even been planning on going fishing in the area, but changed their plans last minute because of a disappointing catch earlier in the day.

Read more: Dad held at knifepoint as thug robs him of £15k Rolex watch in Westfield car park

Read more: Female prison guard who had 'intimate' relationship with inmate and snuck him in female underwear 'faces significant jail sentence'

Britse kajakker na dagen op een lichtboei gered door Nederlandse vissers. Maakt het goed. Zie meer tekst op onze tijdlijn of bij Het Urkerland

Posted by EMK-vissers on Thursday, October 27, 2022

The kayaker was airlifted to a French hospital for treatment.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO) said they had not been asked for any consular assistance in relation to the kayaker but were ready to help if needed.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

More than 2 million drivers are set to hit the road on Good Friday.

Easter Carmageddon: Over two million drivers to hit the road on Good Friday after Storm Nelson travel chaos

Michael Gove has slammed the water firm as a 'disgrace'.

Thames Water bosses branded a ‘disgrace’ as Michael Gove tells firm ‘not to punish consumers’ for its failings

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

A council has had to apologise following the incident.

Fury as parents offered version of school class photo without complex needs pupils

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus plunges from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Exclusive
Starmer has vowed to resurrect Boris Johnson's 'Levelling Up' policy

Failure to ‘level up’ Britain would be ‘catastrophic’, Wes Streeting admits, as Starmer vows to resurrect Johnson policy

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike

Stephen Bear was ordered to pay Ms Harrison £5,000.

Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear ordered to pay £27,000 over revenge porn conviction or face nine months in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says