Angler says gift saved his life

20 December 2018, 06:00

Neal Dews was out fishing, when he was swept from rocks.

He says the thing that saved him was a lifejacket, his wife had bought him for his birthday.

Neal now wants other anglers to put a lifejacket on their Christmas list, saying it could save their lives too.

On Sunday 4 November, a few weeks after his birthday, Neal headed out to fish at his local beach in Newquay. 

A wall of water smashed into him, knocking him off his feet and into rocks behind him

‘Neal said  ‘When I hit the rocks and it knocked all the wind out me, that’s when panic set in. I had no control of what was going on around me whatsoever. The only way I can describe it is like putting a rag doll in a washing machine.’

As soon as Neal went underwater, his lifejacket automatically inflated, bringing his head to the surface. 

"I can remember crying to myself, ‘No. No. Not like this. Please, not like this."

He managed to clamber back to dry land, battered and bruised.

Neal says "‘If it wasn’t for that lifejacket, no questions asked, I wouldn’t be sat here, it saved my life."

He's supporting the RNLI's Respect the water campaign, and is urging all anglers and fishermen to make sure they wear a lifejacket.

They range in price from £30 to over £100, but Neal says are the perfect Christmas gift, as they could be a life saver.