Rescuers test their skills in Tallinn sea rescue contest

About 300 people need rescuing from the sea in Estonia each year, ERR reports. To prepare for different emergencies, rescuers tested their skills at the 11th sea rescue contest at Tallinn Seaplane Harbour.

The contest is organised by the Police and Border Guard Board to give participants practice in rescuing people from the sea in real-life situations.

As part of the exercise, participants first had to jump into the water from the quay and reach a raft in distress. Egon Pendla, a team leader at the board’s maritime bureau, said the incidents generally involve small craft with engine failures or people experiencing other problems.

Raine Jeeberg, head of the board’s sea rescue service, said the number of people requiring rescue remains broadly stable from year to year. Winter ice conditions have the greatest effect on the total, she said, as more fishermen get into trouble when the sea freezes.

In summer, people using stand-up paddleboards and children on inflatable mattresses often get into difficulty. Jet ski riders can also run into trouble if they are not sufficiently familiar with the sea.

Vallo Vilta, who has been a volunteer sea rescuer for 25 years, recalled one unusual case in which a man called for help while swimming. He said his boat had capsized but did not mention that he had started swimming away from it. Rescuers found the boat but could not find the man, even though he continued talking to them on the phone. He was eventually found swimming while speaking on the phone, which he had placed in waterproof packaging.