A man had a lucky escape on Friday morning after he was thrown from his speedboat in Teignmouth Quay
A man was thrown into the water and circled by his speedboat in Teignmouth Quay after he accidentally knocked the throttle and the boat jerked forward.
He was not wearing a kill cord, meaning the boat’s engine did not cut out and the boat was left running freely in circles.
Brixham Coastguard watch manager Andre Huber: “It appears the man took off his kill cord as it was too short to allow him to tie up his boat.
“Without the kill cord, the boat’s engine did not cut out and then locked into driving round and round in circles.”
The man, who was wearing a lifejacket at the time, managed to swim to safety and was later rescued by a nearby boat.
Rescue crews and the local RNLI attended the scene and were able to bring the boat under control by cutting the engine.
After being transported to hospital for checks, the owner of the speedboat did not suffer any major injuries.
Brixham Coastguard reminded people of the importance of kill cords following the incident, saying: “We always recommend people wear their kill cord at all times when on the boat.
Make sure it’s a suitable length so you can move around your vessel, particularly if you’re on your own.”
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