When an experienced boater fell into the River Dart after an evening cruise with his wife and young son, it quickly dawned on him he was in grave danger

For Simon Burton, a leisurely family cruise on 24 June turned into a lifethreatening situation in a matter
of seconds. ‘It was quite windy and the tide was strong,’ he recalls. ‘We were tying the boat onto the pontoon when the wind blew the boat away. I was holding onto the pontoon and my legs were in the boat. The next minute, I’d dropped into the water.’ His 11-year-old son Finn remembers his dad hitting the water: ‘At first we all started laughing and then we realised it was quite serious.’

Moored in an isolated area and unable to pull himself out of the water, it was apparent Simon needed help fast. His wife called 999 asking for the Coastguard, while their son ran a quarter of a mile to raise the alarm with a passer-by. On impact, Simon’s lifejacket had auto-inflated, but his core temperature
was falling and he was in shock. 'You start to think: “Is something going to happen to my heart?” and that is pretty scary,’ he says. ‘I had been doing some RYA training that morning so I knew physiologically what was happening to me, but that didn’t make it any less scary.’ Finn arrived with help, but one man was not enough to help Simon’s wife pull him to safety. It was only when another boater arrived that
together they managed to drag him onto the pontoon. ‘By that time I had lost complete use and feeling in my arms and legs,’ Simon recalls. ‘I remember lying on the pontoon shivering uncontrollably, but
I was just grateful I was out of the water at that point.’ Meanwhile, Crispin Brabner was enjoying a walk with his dog when his pager sounded. He was first to arrive at Dart Lifeboat Station, with Chris Rampling leaving his dinner to arrive shortly afterwards, followed by Helm Buster Hart. It was 7.22pm. ‘We were told he had been in the water for 15 minutes,’ says Buster. As they launched the D class lifeboat, thoughts of cold water shock and hypothermia were at the forefront of their minds. They raced to Blackness Marine on the River Dart, much to Simon’s relief. ‘I have never been so pleased to see anybody in my whole life,’ Simon says. ‘To see the guys arrive and put me under their care immediately was such a tremendous relief. And the fact that they arrived in such quick time was just amazing, absolutely amazing.’

Chris checked Simon over and warmed him up to protect his body from losing any more heat. Simon says: ‘They immediately put me into a vehicle and dressed me in a thermal suit and rubber helmet. They were checking my vital signs and were incredibly reassuring. Once I was in that position I knew I was in good hands and that I was out of any danger.’

Buster reflects: ‘He was pretty lucky. If he had been in the water any longer it could have been a different case. If he hadn’t had a lifejacket on, if he hadn’t had a phone to call 999, it could have been a very different outcome.’ Simon’s experience that day has only deepened his respect for the water. ‘I have always been very safety conscious and careful, but the fact is that these sorts of incidents can happen so quickly and unexpectedly. “Be prepared” is my message. Wear a lifejacket, carry the right safety kit and just be totally conscious of how dangerous water can be, even when you are close to the shore.’
Words: Carrie Garrad
Photos: RNLI/Carrie Garrad

Know what to do
Always wear a lifejacket, even when simply stepping on and off your boat. Simon’s lifejacket kept him
afloat while help arrived – without it, this could have been a very different story. Find out more:
RNLI.org/boating.

SIMON BURTON
BOAT OWNER DEVON

‘I have never been so pleased to see anybody’

‘You fall into the river in June and people say: “What do you mean you were cold?” People don’t realise how cold UK waters are, even in the summer. I really didn’t know what was going to happen to me. I could tell my body temperature had reduced quite considerably. You hear about hypothermia and that it can be extremely dangerous. ‘The volunteer crew all have day jobs. Their professionalism and dedication is something I will always admire and be eternally grateful for.’