Screaming teenager saved in Portsmouth harbour was swept out after chasing ball before ‘eagle-eyed’ sea watchkeepers spotted him

As reported by The News, a dramatic rescue operation saved the ‘lucky’ youngster after he got into difficulties just outside Portsmouth Harbour near the Round Tower before he was plucked to safety as the city sweltered in 30C heat.

The swimmer was saved by a passing fishing vessel and handed over to a police boat and taken to land.

It can now be revealed the boy was playing on the Hot Walls beach with friends before a ball went into the sea and he dashed in after it.

The News has learnt the initial mayday call to the Queen’s Harbour Master (QHM) was sent out by ‘eagle-eyed’ volunteers of Gosport Coastwatch at the harbour’s entrance.

Station manager Colin Church said: ‘Our volunteers spotted a group of teenagers who were playing with a ball on the Hot Walls beach. As soon as the boy entered the water our watchkeepers identified him as possibly vulnerable.

‘Within a few minutes of entering the water the boy got into trouble with the strong ebb current and our eagle-eyed team made the call to put out a mayday relay on VHF Channel 16 alerting all mariners to the incident.

‘This was promptly followed with a call to the QHM to notify him of the same, so any commercial traffic was made aware.’

He added: ‘Thankfully, the incident had a happy ending, but we had two other swimmers in difficulty the day before also resulting twice in the deployment of the Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service.

‘It is important that we get the message out to every one of the dangers of swimming off the Hot Walls beach which is a no swimming area. During the summer we also have teenagers “tombstoning” off the walls into very shallow waters, and I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is.’

Crew and passengers on a passing Wightlink ferry from Fishbourne to Portsmouth had heard the stricken teenager’s desperate shouts.

Ferry passenger Nina Wheeler, 40, said: ‘All the passengers had been sent back to their cars but myself and some crew spotted a young man in the water. He was screaming “help me” as clear as day.

‘The ferry sounded its alarm and called for help. A small fishing boat came speeding over and spotted the young man. They pulled him out of the water before handing him over to a police boat.’

Mr Church urged mariners passing through the Eastern Solent or the harbour to make contact with the station on VHF channel 65 for weather conditions or a radio or automatic identification system check.

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He added that whilst Fort Blockhouse had closed last December, Gosport Coastwatch was open for business - with a new flag pole installed at the entrance last week. ‘We look upon ourselves as the “eternal watchkeepers” of today keeping water users, and those by it safe,’ he said.