A very painful accident almost happened in the port city on Tuesday evening (July 28).
At about 18:49, firefighters from the Klaipėda Fire and Rescue Department were called to the Baltic Sea.
Their help was needed near Vėtros Street – between the First Melnragė and the northern pier of the sea port gates.
After calling the emergency services number 112, it was reported that a man was being carried by a strong current into the open sea near the pier and he was already about 200 meters away from the shore.
When the firefighters arrived at the scene, the mentioned man was already on the shore.
The victim was laid on the beach rescuers’ stretcher, loaded onto the rescuers’ quad bike, and taken to the ambulance crew’s vehicle.
The man handed over to the paramedics was taken to the hospital.
According to Aleksandras Siakki, head of Klaipėda beach rescuers, the accident happened to a kiteboarding sportsman.
On Tuesday evening, he decided to enjoy the strong wind and high waves of the Baltic Sea.
“At one moment, the man ended up in the water. He was kept afloat by a special suit. Everything happened in a place where beach rescuers do not patrol. After receiving the report, they ran from the First Melnragė to the sea gates pier to help the kiteboarder. At that moment, a wave caught him and threw him onto the shore,” A. Siakki told “Vakarų ekspresas”.
Once in the sea, the kiteboarder swallowed a lot of water.
On the shore, before the beach rescuers arrived, other kiteboarders rushed to help him and laid the man on his side.
According to witnesses, the victim’s condition was quite serious; he was vomiting seawater.
A. Siakki was surprised that the kiteboarder acted very irresponsibly in such weather and even violated safe behavior rules in the water.
“The man was without a life jacket and helmet. And the kiteboarder’s suit keeps a person afloat worse than a life jacket,” said A. Siakki.
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