Rescued kayaker: 'I thought I was going to die'

A kayaker's "terrifying" ordeal at sea has driven him to sell his kayak, with the proceeds donated to the charity that saved his life.

Antony Meli went fishing off the coast of Easington, East Yorkshire, on 18 June but fell off his vessel after the sea turned choppy.

A fisherman on the beach raised the alarm and a crew from RNLI Withernsea rescued the 63-year-old as he clung on to his kayak.

Thanking the crew with a £500 donation to the RNLI, Mr Meli said: "I thought I was going to die."

Mr Meli, who has been sea fishing from a kayak for seven years, drove almost 90 miles (144.8km) from his home in Balderton, near Newark, hoping to catch his first smooth hound fish.

Before launching the kayak, the builder said he made sure he was prepared with the correct equipment, including a lifejacket and VHF radio for emergencies.

But after a few hours, he suddenly felt the back end "lift up and tip over" plunging him into the cold North Sea.

"I swam as fast as I could back to my kayak and clung on the side of it," he said.

Water gushed into his drysuit, which Mr Meli had not zipped fully, making it hard for him to stay afloat. Cramp then set in to his left leg and he became "terrified" when his radio fell out of his pocket.

Luckily, he spotted two fishermen on the beach and repeatedly shouted for help. Eventually, one of them raised the alarm.

"About 15 minutes later I saw a helicopter overhead and then the lifeboat bouncing towards me," Mr Meli said.

"I was so happy then because I thought I was going to drown and never see my family and seven grandchildren again."

After his rescue, Mr Meli was taken to hospital for treatment.

He added: "I decided that night I would never get back on a kayak and I put it up for sale."

On Wednesday 3 July, Mr Meli returned to Withernsea and met the crew for the first time since his rescue.

"One of the best feelings I've had in my life is when I saw that hand there ready to grab me," he said.

"The feeling then that I knew I was going to be saved was just fantastic."

Darren Hickey, lifeboat operations manager at RNLI Withernsea, said the crew was "humbled" by the "incredibly kind gesture" but felt saddened Mr Meli was giving up his much-loved hobby.

"We certainly wouldn't ask anybody to sell their kayak or anything like that to fund us," said Mr Hickey. "It's amazing the support we've had."

Mr Meli also wanted to thank the fisherman who called for help, saying: "If it wasn't for you, mate, I wouldn't be here today."

The misadventure has not thwarted his passion for fishing but he will be casting his rod from ashore from now on.

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