Kayaker, 28, rescued from the Channel by fishermen after clinging to a buoy for two days was upset after breaking up with his girlfriend, his father reveals
- Exclusive: British kayaker, 28, is rescued by Dutch fishermen in the English Channel after clinging to a buoy
- Daniel Lewis, from Blackpool, had been suffering from heartache after a break-up, his father Richard said
- The daring paddler was trying to cross from Dover to France without having had any training or support
- But he capsized his kayak and was clung to a buoy to avoid drowning, surviving on seaweed and mussels
- Miraculously, despite suffering from severe hypothermia, he survived and was airlifted to a French hospital
- But French coastguards have been baffled by ‘impossible’ claims the man had survived 12 days adrift at sea
The kayaker rescued from the English Channel by fishermen yesterday after clinging to a buoy is a troubled Brit from Blackpool who was upset following a recent break-up with a girlfriend.
Daniel Lewis was spotted in news bulletins by his anxious father Richard Lewis, who had become increasingly concerned about his 28-year-old son after not hearing from him for weeks.
His father Richard Lewis has told MailOnline how he was ‘both relieved and concerned’ when he saw pictures of his son, who has been plagued by personal problems, being rescued from the sea.
Mr Lewis, from Blackpool, told MailOnline: ‘From the moment I saw the pictures of the lad being rescued from the sea I knew it was my Daniel.
‘I’m so pleased that he is safe and well and being looked after in hospital. But I was really worried that he had almost been lost at sea. I had no idea he was planning anything like this.
‘Richard has had a lot of problems and he has been moving around a lot. He has been living between Liverpool, Wrexham and Birmingham.
‘I try to keep tabs on him and I try to speak to him on the phone as often as I can. But the other day he just vanished. I later heard that he had split up with his girlfriend.
‘I had no idea he had gone down south or that he was planning to paddle across the Channel.
‘Daniel has never been into kayaking. He doesn’t even own a canoe.’
Daniel clung onto the buoy for up to 48 hours after his inflatable kayak capsized in the middle of the English Channel. The 28-year-old nearly drowned and is understood to have told rescuers that he survived by eating raw mussels, crabs and seaweed during his maritime ordeal.
British Daniel Lewis, 28, whose kayak had capsized when crossing the English Channel to France was rescued yesterday morning after fishermen found him clinging to a buoy for dear life
He was rescued by a group of fishermen from the Netherlands in the Channel before being airlifted to a French hospital by the French Coast Guard
After being taken aboard the exhausted British kayaker (pictured) was offered some water and a Snickers chocolate bar
He was only rescued after being spotted by fishermen by which time he was suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion.
Today coastguards in France where he was taken for emergency treatment revealed he did not seem to have proper training in how to use a kayak and didn’t appear to have any support or back up for his attempt at such a dangerous crossing.
Orlane Saliou, spokeswoman for the Maritime Gendarmerie, the French equivalent of the Coastguard, said it didn’t appear that he was experienced.
She added that his good physical fitness and the timely rescue had ‘saved his life’. But she rubbished some media reports that he could have been lost at sea for as long as 12 days – as this would have been impossible to survive.
Madame Saliou told MailOnline: ‘His motives concerning this crossing are not very clear but it would seem that a sporting project should be discarded.
‘The Maritime Gendarmerie is currently carrying out an investigation on this topic.
‘The person suffered from hypothermia, general fatigue and dehydration but given his good physical resistance, his general state of health is quite good.
‘The victim was taken care of by the French healthcare services as soon as they arrive in the territory.
‘The responsiveness of the CROSS Griz-nez [maritime emergency station] and the rapid engagement of the French Navy helicopter Dauphin probably saved his life.’
She added that the Briton had attempted to cross the ‘world’s busiest water way’ which 400 commercial ships pass through every day and endures 120 days per year of ‘force seven gales’.
Daniel was spotted by the crew of cutter ship ‘De Madelaine’, from Urk in the Netherlands who launched the rescue attempt at 11am yesterday.
He was found when skipper and owner Teunis de Boer was sailing between England and France this morning when he spotted something in the water.
French Channel authorities said he was found by fishermen holding onto the ‘Colbart Nord’ buoy around halfway between Dover and France
Fisherman Teunis de Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars and saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks ‘waving at us like a madman’
Daniel (pictured), 28, was reportedly suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard
The crew of De Madelaine then wrapped him in blankets and called the French Coast Guard, who airlifted him to a hospital for treatment, pictured
The captain wanted to make sure they didn’t get too close to the buoy when he ‘saw something crazy moving’ near it, he told local media.
Mr De Boer grabbed a pair of binoculars, and to his surprise saw the exhausted and distressed Briton wearing only a pair of swimming trunks ‘waving at us like a madman’, according to De Telegraaf.
Despite the choppy weather, the crew quickly worked to rescue him by sailing towards him and throwing a life ring into the water. The man managed to use his last bit of strength to reach out so they could bring him to the boat.
Daniel was suffering from severe hypothermia when he was brought onboard with a body temperature of just 26C, Het Urkerland reports.
The Briton was also bruised, dehydrated and his eyes were ‘very deep in his sockets’. ‘It’s a miracle he survived,’ Skipper De Boer said.
The heroic crew then offered the exhausted man a Snickers chocolate bar who then told him he had set out to kayak from Dover to France, but his boat had capsized leaving him the only option of clinging to the floating buoy.
Authorities believe he spent around 48 hours in the water and on the buoy.
Daniel is now in hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer and and is said to be able to talk but is in a ‘bad shape’.
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