Pilot on jet ski rescues girl from sea

Tuesday 12 August 2014

The man who saved the life of a four-year-old girl who had been carried out to sea last week says he’s no hero and that he “just did what anyone else would have done”.

Tony Barraclough jumped on his jet ski to find young Jemima Chambers, after her mother, Rebecca raised the alarm at Rozel, last Wednesday. The airline pilot, who had been taking his jet ski out of the water after a round-island trip, immediately set off in search of the girl who had drifted over half a mile out to sea.

He said: “She was a hell of a long way out. She was four years old and couldn’t exactly wave for help. She would have been even further out if we hadn’t got to her when we did. Thankfully the jet ski is so fast we were able to find her and get her out really quickly. She was oblivious to what was going on.”

Jemima had been playing in the harbour on a boogie board with her siblings Bruno, two, Caspar, six, and Mollie, eight; plus her cousins, Emily Le Marquand, 10 and Jamie, eight. Her mother and her mother’s sister, Rachel Le Marquand had been swimming.

Tony, who bought his jet ski just over a year ago after decades of owning motor boats, said: “I was putting the jet ski back on the trailer when I heard a woman shouting ‘Where is she?’ I just told the woman to trust me, and that we would find her. The mother jumped on the back of the jet ski with me and we headed out of the harbour.

“There were five children there. The mother was over from the UK and her sister was a local girl. I just did what anyone would have done. When the mother said ‘I don’t know how to thank you’ I just told her ‘don’t let it happen again.’”

The rescue comes just days after the Jersey Coastguard launched its annual ‘Safety at Sea’ campaign which highlights the dangers of our coastline and reminds people to wear life-jackets when out on the water.

James Letto from Jersey Coastguard, said: “We don’t get so many incidents like this at working harbours like Rozel because most families tend to go to sandy beaches like St Ouen, Grève de Lecq or Plèmont, where there are life guards.

“Jet skiers and private boat owners are often the first on the scene when someone gets into difficulty and we are very lucky in Jersey that they are prepared to help.”

Safety advice for anyone using Jersey waters is available on the Jersey Coastguard facebook page.

James said: “As a parents you should always keep your eye on young children when they are near the water. No matter what water sport you’re doing, always check the tide times, make sure you have the right equipment and avoid surfing, diving or going out to sea by yourself.”