Malvar station receives an emergency
call from the Coast Guard.
A worried family member has dialed 999
after two kayakers failed to return from
a trip out to sea. It's been nearly four
hours since they set off.
We didn't actually know what time or at what point
they got into difficulty. Were we looking
for people treading water trying to stay
afloat or we were looking for
potentially two bodies we just did not know.
We got the information that it was a
father and his 13 year old son and that
was a real kind of game changer for me
big lump in my throat felt instantly
emotional I've got a ten-year-old son
myself. I'm not the only parent on that
boat and for everybody it got very very
serious very very quickly.
All the crew have to go on is that the
upturned kayak was last seen around four
nautical miles up the coast from Moelfre
just north of Dilys Island.
I was in the wheelhouse taking
information of the radio, Josh one of our
junior crew members - I could hear him
shouting at the top I've seen somebody.
I'd looked and then I looked away, and then I looked
back again but something in my - it just
caught my eye without the binoculars
that there was somebody on the island.
The fastest way to get to the island is
with the small Y class boat.
As Martin and Josh approach, two figures appear.
Watch yourself.
Anybody ingested water?
We've both swallowed quite a bit yeah.
Anybody feeling really cold?
Yeah.
You got no shoes or anything on mate?
No, they came off.
Within minutes of talking to him you could see
that both been through something really really traumatic.
Wet, cold, and exhausted the boy
and his father have spent over two hours
exposed to the elements on the island.
It was by far the most severe case of
hypothermia I've definitely seen, yeah.
Everything, shakes, the clammyness, the blue lips.
Josh, ask for the chopper.
We needed to get these casualties off
here I need to get them to professional,
medical assistance.
I think the planets evacuate by helicopter.
Paul and his son Joe were off the coast
of Moelfre when their kayak started taking
in water and capsized.
We were about half
a mile from Dilas, it's obvious
that was closest so I said if you straddle
the boat I'll try and kick it towards the island.
After half an hour making no
progress and with hypothermia sitting in
they abandoned the kayak and tried to
swim to the island instead. We got in the
water and Joe was upset he said I think
we're going to die and I was convinced
we both were at that point because of
the cold. He said I think we are
going to die Dad, but if we die the last
thing I want to do is give you a kiss.
So I gave him a kiss and I told him I loved him and
we set off to swim.
Waves were breaking on me and I was taking quite a lot water and
obviously the sea temperature was what
it was and I'd been in there for quite a long time by now.
My arms were starting to fail and I was on my back,
and I remember feeling that this is really
warm and really peaceful and just went to sleep.
I saw he was unconscious so I jumped back
in the sea swam to him, carried him
to that island then I gave him CPR and resusitated him.
I don't remember how I got from the side
of the water up to the tower. I asked Joe
how I got there and he said I put you on my back an I carried you.
He was just on my shoulder so like because
the rocks are about four - five foot high
each one, I'd carry him up one then I
just I'd just like have a little tiny rest cause
it's quite tiring, then just keep on
carrying up as many as I could - then we
got to shelter.
Without a shadow of a doubt Joe saved my
life that day.
When he thought that he was looking at
death the fact that he wanted to do that
as a last action I think thats lovely.