A man who was found clinging to a buoy in rough seas in the English Channel having survived for four days on seaweed and rainwater had been trying to kayak to Spain, according to his rescuers. The UK citizen was rescued by fishermen after he was found wearing only swimming trunks.
The 28-year-old had been clinging to the buoy forr four days, according to his rescuers The kayaker had left Dover and was trying to paddle 'to Spain', before he ran out of energy.
Tunis Van Luut said the man had been on the buoy for four days (Image: Tunis Van Luut)
Tunis Van Luut, 41, skipper of fishing vessel De Madelaine, speaking to The Mirror, said: "We found the kayaker on Thursday at around 11 am, he wasn't ok - we tried to speak to him but he was very bad. We were passing the buoy and I was on the watch because I was the skipper of the boat, I could see something and I couldn't believe my eyes.
"I thought, 'is it really true that I can see a person on it?' We got a little close to the buoy and I was calling my crew and I told them that I could see a person on the buoy, I gave him a shout on a loudspeaker to let him know that we can see him, and with his clothes, he made a flag to wave us down."
The fisherman said he and his crew had been fishing and had been at sea for three days when they found the man.
The man needed urgent medical assistance (Image: Tunis Van Luut)
The captain said the conditions were so bad that they couldn't get close enough to the buoy to jump on board. He said: "At that time, we were moving slowly to the buoy and we made a life buoy ready for him and a life jacket and we threw him a line, so he could put a life jacket on, but his condition was so bad it was impossible for him to do that.
"One of my crew members put a life vest by him, one metre from the buoy, and he jumped straight for it.
"We pulled him on board and picked him up on the deck, it was not possible for him to stand so we had two crew members on either side pick him up.
"He needed water and he was drinking a lot, and I asked him who are you and how is it possible that you are here on this buoy without your clothes, just your swimming shorts - there was nothing else.
The man could barely talk, but said he had been trying to get 'to Spain' (Image: Tunis Van Luut)
"We took temperatures of him, he was 26 degrees. I called the coastguard because he needed assistance, and he had to be taken directly to the hospital. In ten minutes he was picked up."
Tunis said the Brit was too weak to talk. He added: "We asked him, 'what time did you depart' and he said it was October 15 from Dover in a kayak. We asked when he had the accident, but his condition was so bad and I could see that his eyes were very deep in his head and he had a lot of blue veins on his head and arms.
He was relieved to see his rescuers (Image: Tunis Van Luut)
"I think it's not possible to give an answer for how long he was there, he was 12 days at sea but how long he was on the buoy we don't know. When it was raining he was drinking rainwater, maybe four or five days on the buoy. I don't know exactly. I think four days.
"He is very lucky to be alive, he was full of spirit to be alive - I could see in his eyes, he was so happy to see us, he took us in his arms, when he was coming on board I could see his conditions was finished, he had nothing left to give.
"I tried to give him some questions but it was not possible for his condition to answer, he tried to answer but he would go silent.
"He told me he wanted to go to Spain, but I said that is stupid because of the distance - it's too far. That's what he told us, he departed on Oct 15 from Dover and his plan was that he was going to Spain. I asked if he had family and he said he didn't have family."
After the man was pulled on board, Tunis said he needed urgent medical attention so he called the coastguard who flew out to collect him. Just eight minutes later they arrived and winched the kayaker to safety.
