Gosport lifeboat volunteers to support Mum’s abseil in memory of the son they tried to save 15 years ago
A mum who has dedicated her life to fundraising after her son died in the Solent is doing a charity abseil in his memory
The mother of a 33-year-old man who died after a tragic accident in the Solent 15 years ago is raising money to support the charity who came to his aid on 3rd July 2011. Ann Beach will abseil down the Spinnaker Tower on Sunday 5th July in memory of her son, Patrick Beach and some of the volunteers who attended the accident on the day will be there to support her.
Patrick fell into the water and was struck by a propeller, suffering severe injuries. Mike Allen, Coxswain for the Gosport And Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (GAFIRS), based at Stokes Bay was first on the scene. He provided urgent medical care and Patrick was airlifted to hospital, where Ann was able to say goodbye before he passed away.
She has campaigned for propeller guards since the accident and has been fundraising tirelessly for GAFIRS since 2011 as her way of thanking them.
She said, “I have been fundraising for the past 15 years in Patrick's memory to support the lifeboat crew who did all they could to save his life. Unfortunately, Patrick passed away in hospital but, if it wasn't for the lifeguards, we wouldn't have spent time with him in his final moments and been able to tell him how much we loved him.
I will be abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower on Sunday at 4pm. All the money raised will go to GAFIRS to help fund their charity as it is run by volunteers who put their life on the line daily to help keep people safe and save people's lives.
Patrick was loved by everyone and not a day goes by that he isn’t spoken about. There are far too many stories to share but we all have our own memories with our dear Patrick.
By fundraising, we can raise awareness and help to pay for essential equipment and training. GAFIRS is very close to my heart and I am really grateful to Mike Allen and the other volunteers who will be supporting me for my abseil.”
Ann and her family have raised thousands for GAFIRS over the years. To honour Patrick’s memory and acknowledge his family’s incredible support, GAFIRS commissioned a vessel named after him.
The Patrick Beach is a 3.8m Arancia beach rescue boat which was launched at Emergency Services Day last July and plays a vital role in cadet-led beach rescues and rapid deployment along the Stokes Bay and Lee-on-the-Solent shorelines.
GAFIRS is holding an Emergency Services Day at the lifeboat station on Sunday 19th July from 11am to 4pm. They will be joined by other rescue services, including Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Central Ambulance Service, Blood Bikes, HM Coastguard and Gosport Police Cadets.
This is an ideal opportunity to see the Patrick Beach and other rescue vessels and to support the charity. For more events and information, visit the GAFIRS website for more information https://gafirs.org.uk