[ Kill Cords ]

A RUNAWAY Jet Ski caused mayhem in the sea off Herne Bay on Sunday.

The fun boat leapt out of the hands of its rider as he tried to fire it up.

It careered off and boats had to dodge the ghost craft, with it amazingly ending up near Southend.

No-one was hurt in the incredible incident which started at Hampton, but investigations are going on into what happened.

The lifeboat service at Whitstable was called into action at 2pm on the boiling hot day, with hundreds of sun seekers packing the beach and seafront.

Now a leading rescueman has blasted Jet Ski users who do not follow safety rules, claiming someone could have been killed.

Whitstable Lifeboat Operations Manager Mike Judge said: “This had all the makings of a potentially serious incident.

“If the unmanned Jet Ski had headed inshore then there would have been a serious risk of injury or loss of life to anyone in the water or on the shoreline.

“The possibility of a collision between the Jet Ski and other small craft would have again had major implications with the possibility of injury and loss of life.

“It could have sparked a large scale rescue operation.”

Jet Ski riders should have a ‘kill cord’ which switches off the engine if they are thrown off their craft.

“If the Jet Ski was stationary the occupant would stand some chance to re-board the craft,” added Mr Judge.

“In the event of a rescue, it is easier to find spot a person if they are near their Jet Ski, as the craft is easier to find.

“It is understood in this case the rider was attached to his craft by the ‘kill-cord’ but it slipped off his wrist.

“It would probably have been better if the kill-cord was attached to the riders buoyancy jacket.

“There is no suggestion that he was behaving improperly but the incident has provided a timely reminder of the risks involved with such craft.”

Nigel Newton, chairman of JAWS, the Herne and Whitstable Jet Ski and Watercraft Society, said his members would continue to have the safety message drummed into them.

He was investigating the incident and planned to speak about it at a water safety meeting on Thursday (July 9).

“Anyone in the water – be it a boater or someone on a Jet Ski – should wear the appropriate gear,” he said.

“It is debatable whether a kill cord should be on the buoyancy aid or the wrist.

“The engine should have throttled right down and the engine just ticked over in either case.

“My understanding is this rider was trying to get his machine working just off the beach.

“He had trouble starting it and lost control of it. One of my members came to help him and told me about it.

“It seems there was something else wrong with the craft if it got as far as it did.

“I’m surprised it ended up there.

“Jet Skis are very popular in Herne Bay with more than 20 people taking part on a nice sunny day like Sunday.

“I have also run the Shore Play shop on Central Parade for nine years and safety is becoming much better with these craft.

“They are one of the safest things in the water and riders have to take with them paddles, flares and a knife if they get tangled up, amongst other things.

“A rider does not have to have a safety lesson before going out on the water, but it is of course recommended.

“I will be re-iterating the safety message to my group this week.”

The alert was raised at 2.07pm after the sailing barge Greta avoided the Jet Ski out at sea between the Kentish Flats Wind Farm and the Shivering Sands Towers.

It sailed within 100 yards of an anchored angling boat near the Red Sands Towers.

The Port of London Authority issued a warning to shipping and it eventually became tied up in the remains of the former Second World War defence boom at Shoeburyness, near Southend.

“It is perhaps fortunate that the old wartime boom designed to protect against submarines once again played a role and protected the public from further risk,” added Mr Judge.

* A JET Ski was towed to shore on Monday (July 6) after a passerby spotted the rider waving for help.

The vehicle was towing a rubber ring off Hampton when it got into difficulties and coastguards were alerted.

Whitstable’s volunteer lifeboat crews were called to the scene and found a passing speedboat towing it back to Herne Bay harbour.

(source)