SAFA Skysailor Magazine

22 SKY SAILOR May | June 2022 but I got it out whilst under water. I felt for the harness straps as I could not see them. I was working on cutting the second or third piece of webbing as my head broke the surface and I remember feeling quite overwhelmed by a situation I had never imagined nor had a coping strategy for. On the surface, I initially felt quite buoyant, even though all my clothes were saturated. The harness seemed to be doing an excellent job of keeping my head above water. I had expected it to roll me over, face down, instead I was on my back coasting gently towards the shore, being pulled by my reserve still inflated behind me. (In hindsight, I’ve wondered why the airbag didn’t cause me to roll face down. Maybe it became partially deflated whilst submerged? Or the reserve, attached to my shoulders, and the main wing attached lower down at the carabiners, possibly helped resist any rolling tendency?) Hook knives are excellent for cutting webbing! Yet, I could not see the harness webbing in the water. I just kept cutting what- ever I could that seemed to be holding me in the harness. Soon I floated free of the harness and began to swim towards shore, feeling massively relieved and thinking that somehow, I’d gotten away with it. Not just yet though… Still in deep water, I sank underneath the surface at fairly regular intervals. I felt the need to get my helmet off, and discarded it, probably losing my sunglasses at that time. Relieved, I felt rock/reef underfoot and repeatedly tried to stand up. Every time I tried, I was being drawn back into deeper water off the rock ledge, only to be washed back onto the ledge by the next wave. Only at this point did I feel, then see numerous lines completely wrapped tight around my left ankle. I wasn’t sure if the wing was pulling me under as the waves receded, or if the wing was holding me back as the waves crashed over me. Either way, I went under several more times as the waves crashed and ebbed. Several times I tried to remove the lines using my hands, but this proved completely ineffective and exhausting. The waves washed my wing over my head at least twice and it was difficult to get out from under it. A member of the public, a man, walked into the water to ask if I was okay, not understand- ing my predicament. I shouted back I needed urgent help and above all, a knife. I had lost mine. I knew it was attached to my harness on One flight, many lessons ‘X’ is the approximate water entry point. My Ozone Angel reserve is clearly visible, partially inflated on the surface. Dave Cooper on Big Ear descent is coming to my rescue. Thank you Mr Cooper, I’m in your debt Photo: Arthur Sewell